Copyright 1999 Federal Document Clearing House, Inc.
Federal Document Clearing House Congressional Testimony
February 4, 1999, Thursday
SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING TESTIMONY
LENGTH: 5555 words
HEADLINE:
TESTIMONY February 04, 1999 EDWARD WYTKIND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AFL-CIO
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE AVIATION FINANCIAL
NEEDS OF AIRPORTS
BODY: STATEMENT OF EDWARD
WYTKIND, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TRANSPORTATION TRADES DEPARTMENT, AFL-CIO BEFORE THE
TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE SUBCOMMITTEE ON AVIATION "Meeting
the Financial Needs of Airports, The FAA and The Aviation System" February 4,
1999 My name is Edward Wytkind. I am the Executive Director of the
Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), whose 30 affiliated unions
represent several million workers employed in all areas of our nation's
transportation system including several hundred thousand in the aviation
industry. 1 I want to first thank you, Chairman Jim Duncan (R-TN) and Ranking
Member William Lipinski (D-IL), for giving us this opportunity to share our
views on the financial needs of our aviation system and specifically on the
safety benefits that can be derived from a long-term and consistent investment
in our airports and air traffic control system. I also want to again thank and
recognize the leadership of the full Committee and this Subcommittee for their
commitment and dedication to fully funding our entire transportation system and
especially the hard work we all did together in the recently enacted TEA-21
legislation. There is little disagreement that this effort is paying tremendous
dividends for our country, and I believe a great deal of what we learned in that
process can be transferred to the deliberations on a comprehensive aviation
infrastructure and safety bill. 1 A complete list of TTD affiliates is attached
at 1. Specifically, the following aviation unions are affiliated with TTD: the
Air Line Pilots Association; the Association of Flight Attendants; the
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; the International
Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Communications Workers of America; the National
Air Traffic Controllers Association; the Professional Airways Systems
Specialists; and the Transport Workers Union of America. Additionally, the
International Association of Fire Fighters, also a TTD affiliate, brings an
important safety perspective to this aviation legislation. (attachment is
available on hard copy only). Let me start by restating the basic premise that
has already been discussed - our entire aviation system, from airports to our
air traffic control operations - needs full and consistent federal investment.
That is why we are here today, and I don't think there is much disagreement
about that fact. But let me also state that from aviation labor's point of view,
more money is not the sole answer to our aviation challenges, and it would be
irresponsible to proceed down a path that ignores the other policy objectives
that must be met as Congress considers the reauthorization of the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) in what
has been billed the "Year of Aviation." In short, we must protect the interests
of FAA employees, we must ensure that all federal labor standards and
protections apply to airport construction and maintenance programs and we must
use the reauthorization process to finally implement the safety priorities that
have been identified by the unions whose members work in the aviation industry
everyday. Put simply, these are the objectives of TTD and our 30 affiliated
unions and we will judge any final aviation bill based on whether it meets this
straight forward standard. Our stake in this debate is clear. TTD's affiliates
represent every conceivable worker in the aviation industry. For the economy the
stakes are high as well. The U.S. airline and aerospace industries directly
employ approximately 1.5 million Americans - most in high-wage, high-skilled
jobs - that together represent more than $100 billion a year in wages. In
addition, unionized workers staff our airports, build our aviation
infrastructure and operate, maintain and inspect our air traffic control system.
The Needs of our Aviation System These dedicated workers help ensure that U.S.
aviation is the safest and most efficient in the world. And in a way, part of
the problem we are experiencing today is that we are a product of our own
success. More and more people and cargo are utilizing air travel, crowding our
busy airports and putting pressures on outdated systems and technologies. The
1997 World Development Survey found that world-wide travel will double from one
billion to over two billion passengers over the next 20 years. U.S. domestic and
international passenger enplanements are expected to increase by 52 percent from
1996 to 2006, and by 2008 the FAA estimates that there will be 10 million more
annual aircraft operations than occurred at the end of 1997. No matter which
studies you look at, it is clear that the demand for aviation services will
increase as we enter the 21st century and the only question is whether we are
prepared to respond to this demand. Unfortunately, today the answer is no unless
Congress acts without delay. Any credible evaluation of the funding needs of our
aviation system has reached the same conclusion - the current level of federal
investment is insufficient to keep up with this growing demand and the
technological challenges that confront our system. The National Civil Aviation
Review Commission (Commission) described the situation this way: Without prompt
action, the United States' aviation system is headed toward gridlock shortly
after the turn of the century. If this gridlock is allowed to happen, it will
result in a deterioration of aviation safety, harm the efficiency and growth of
our domestic economy and hurt our position in the global marketplace. Lives may
be endangered; the profitability and strength of the aviation sector could
disappear; and jobs and business opportunities far beyond aviation could be
forgone. I will not repeat all of the numbers, the detailed findings of the
Commission, or the numerous other studies that have looked at this issue. I
will, however, say that the men and women who work for our nation's air
carriers, at the airports, and in the aerospace industry know that the problem
will worsen if left unchecked. Our members see this every day and their jobs,
livelihoods and safety depend on this situation being addressing. Unlocking the
Trust Fund TTD and our aviation affiliates have always believed that the federal
government must fully fund and invest in our aviation system. While this is not
a new position, the condition of our airports and the FAA system combined with
the growing needs that I have just outlined have made it clear that the current
mechanism by which aviation is funded will simply not do. TTD was proud to join
Chairman Bud Shuster (R-PA), Ranking Member Jim Oberstar (D-MN) and this entire
committee in the fight to ensure that money that has been deposited into the
highway trust fund will be spent for transit, highway and safety programs. We
must now do the same for aviation. Every day, our employers and its customers
are taxed on tickets purchased, gas consumed and cargo moved. These revenues are
deposited into a fund that was set-up to meet the long-term needs of our
aviation system. Essentially, the federal government made a deal with the
aviation community - we will tax you for a specific reason and we will take that
money and spend it responsibly to support the nation's aviation needs. It sounds
like a reasonable arrangement. The problem is that the government ensured that
the industry fulfilled its part of the bargain (through taxes and other revenue
collected) but to date has fallen short of meeting its end of the bargain. This
is not some arcane policy argument that has no bearing on the real world. Look
at any area of aviation to see the results of the current policy. Runway
construction and airport expansion is placed on hold, outdated computer systems
remain in use, and FAA employee hiring and training is cut while the aviation
trust fund has billions of unspent dollars. The time has come for this Congress
to meet its commitment to the aviation community and to finally unlock the trust
funds so that the critical needs of the aviation system can be met. Even
opponents of this approach know that the logic of spending trust fund money for
trust fund purposes cannot be denied any longer. They are already switching
gears by proposing to limit or zero-out the general fund contribution that
aviation receives today. This proposal would turn sound public policy on its
head. It has long been recognized that all Americans and the entire economy
benefit from and a strong and secure aviation system. That is why Congress has
wisely chosen to appropriate a general fund contribution and there is no reason
to reverse course now. To say that since we are finally spending the money the
aviation community has itself invested we can now skirt another aspect of our
responsibility is simply engaging in the classic shell game where the players -
passengers, workers, communities and businesses - lose. Our nation's airports
and air traffic control system deserves better than this blatant political
maneuvering. It is time to stop playing games - the aviation trust fund must be
used for aviation purposes and the general fund contribution must remain in full
force. Protecting FAA Employees Funding alone will not automatically ensure that
we will continue to have the safest and most efficient aviation system in the
world. There has been a lot of talk about the need to build more airports and
purchase the best equipment - a position that TTD strongly supports. But to
borrow a phrase from Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater, transportation
is more than about concrete, asphalt and steel - it is also about people. We can
have the most up to date computers in the world, the best technology, the safest
airports, but if we do not equally invest in our FAA personnel we will have
solved none of our problems. Joining me today on this panel is Michael
Fanfalone, President of the Professional Airways Systems Specialists (PASS), and
next week the Committee will hear from the National Air Traffic Controllers
Association (NATCA). These two TTD member unions can give you a detailed
explanation of what their members will need to run and maintain their side of
the aviation matrix. Let me just say that TTD is committed to ensuring that any
new budget treatment protects the interests of FAA employees. This means that in
our rush to build more infrastructure, we cannot short-change the operations
budget and the basic training and staffing that is provided in this account. I
have heard some say, even those strongly supporting unlocking the trust funds,
that of course FAA unions want to protect operational spending since that is
where they get paid. I will not deny nor will I apologize for the fact that the
leadership of NATCA and PASS is prepared to stand up and fight for the economic
rights of its members. Quite frankly, every interest that comes up here to talk
about the virtues of transportation has some vested interest - usually financial
- in the distribution of federal dollars. But to dismiss the message that NATCA
and PASS present as simple self-serving rhetoric, is to miss a valuable point
that is grounded in sound public policy. Our aviation system needs people to run
it. They need to be trained, supported and feel confidant about the jobs and the
roles they play. We must reject any schemes to contract out the work of these
valuable employees and to recognize once and for all that technical FAA work
should be done by FAA employees. All TTD affiliates are dedicated to this
principle, and we will make this a major policy objective as we embark on this
new era of aviation funding. I want to also add that in the reauthorization
bill, this Committee must ensure that FAA workers are afforded the basic right
to send outstanding labor/management issues to the Federal Service Impasses
Panel (FSIP) and to have grievance complaints brought before the Merit System
Protection Board (MSPB). 2 This unfair situation was created by the enactment of
the FY96 Department of Transportation appropriations bill which included a
legislative rider that removed a number of Title 5 personnel protections
normally afforded to FAA and all federal sector employees. While the Committee
wisely reinstated the MSPB jurisdiction in last year's FAA bill, no action has
been taken in relation to FSEP. As the Committee considers this year's FAA bill,
I urge you to once again grant FAA workers the right to bring whistleblower and
other grievance matters before the MSPB. Concerning the FSIP, all we are asking
for is a simple process, outside of the congressional realm, where management
and labor issues of disagreement can be submitted for resolution. I do not
understand why this is such a difficult concept to accomplish, and I hope we can
all work together to settle this issue. Preserving Worker Protections Attempts
to build and maintain airports without strict adherence to federal labor
standards must also be rejected. Innovative financing techniques that leverage
federal dollars to attract state and private money are legitimate proposals
worthy of consideration, but they cannot be used as a means to avoid Davis-
Bacon or other longstanding employee protection obligations which may arise as
transportation infrastructure projects take on a more Intermodal character.
Airport construction and maintenance should be done by a skilled and experienced
workforce.
Prevailing wage laws are an important tool in
meeting this objective and should not be discarded to meet politically motivated
goals. As this Committee is well aware, there has been a great deal of debate
about the use of airport revenues and grants for expansion and enhancement
projects that may stretch beyond traditional airport improvements. Included in
these new projects are transit and light rail initiatives that seek to connect
airports to city centers, population areas and other transportation hubs. Every
effort must be made to ensure that such projects are selected and implemented in
a manner consistent with federal policies including the application of all
federal labor standards. For decades a bipartisan Congress has spoken forcefully
on this issue, having affirmed basic federal labor standards in every major
transportation infrastructure bill enacted since the 1950s. Most recently in
TEA-21 (ISTEA reauthorization) the Congress adopted innovative finance measures
supported by our organization that definitively protected the basic rights of
workers. Since the first interstate highway bill the Congress has repeatedly
affirmed that sound transportation and labor policy are compatible, and not
conflicting, propositions. Implementing Safety Proposals Finally, Congress must
use the FAA reauthorization process to adopt longstanding safety and security
initiatives advocated by aviation labor that to date have not been acted on.
With me today is John O'Brien, Director of the Engineering and Air Safety
Department of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), who I know is prepared to
go into some detail about the safety priorities of that union and how a new
budget treatment will help meet those needs. TTD strongly supports the agenda
put forth by ALPA and I will touch on some of these issues and also review other
top priorities of aviation labor. 2 Attached at 2 is a policy resolution adopted
at TTD's 1998 Winter Executive Committee meeting calling on Congress to
reinstate the Merit System Protection Board and to have outstanding disputes
submitted to the Federal Service Impasses Panel. (Attachment 2 is available on
hard copy only). I have said this many times in relation to safety, but I think
it is worth repeating. Perhaps no issue is more important to aviation workers
than ensuring that air travel is as safe and secure as possible. Aviation
workers are in a unique position to help Congress, the Administration, and the
industry identify problems and offer common sense solutions - our members work
in the aircraft, at the airport and handle air traffic control everyday. We hope
that you will take advantage of our collective experience and expertise and
implement the proposals that we have compiled and championed for a number of
years. Whistleblower Protections One such initiative will help workers fully
participate in the drive to increase safety - the granting of whistleblower
protections. Last year this Committee wisely included whistleblower legislation
introduced by Representatives Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) and James Clyburn (D-SC)
in its version of the FAA bill. The Committee recognized what we have known for
some time - we simply cannot have a safe aviation system unless we address the
inherent problems that are created when we ask front- line workers to choose
between their jobs and reporting a legitimate safety concerns. I urge this
Committee to once again respond positively to this concern and include a
modified version of whistleblower legislation that will soon be introduced. I
should note that whistleblower protections enjoy broad support from Members on
both sides of the aisle and has been endorsed by United Airlines, Northwest
Airlines, the Clinton Administration, the National Civil Aviation Review
Commission and the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security.
Unsafe Foreign Aircraft Repair Stations Another issue we have been working on
for a number of years are the problems created by a 1988 change to Federal
Aviation Regulation Part 145 (FAR 145) which allows unneeded and possibly unsafe
foreign aircraft repair stations to attain FAA certification. This Committee is
well aware of this issue and in fact held a very informative hearing in the
105th Congress that underscored the need to change the way we regulate and
oversee foreign repair stations. It is ridiculous that a foreign station can get
certified to work on a U.S. aircraft without demonstrating that it will service
aircraft engaged in international travel and without meeting all the basic
safety standards imposed on stations here in the U.S. The results of this
misguided policy is easy to see: we have hundreds of foreign stations that are
not needed, are taxing the FAA's already stretched inspection and oversight
resources, and are compromising safety. Last year, Representatives Robert Borski
(D-PA), Christopher Shays. (R-CT), and Phil English (R-PA), introduced the
Foreign Aircraft Repair Station Safety Act (H.R. 145) which would have reversed
the 1988 rule changes and ensured that all stations regardless of location would
meet one high standard. This common sense bill garnered 178 cosponsors and
enjoyed support from a majority of the full committee. As you know, the FAA is
in the process of finalizing a long-awaited rewrite of the rules governing
foreign and domestic repair stations. We are hopeful that these changes will
address some of the concerns that we have articulated over the past 10 years,
and we reserve the right to come back and work with you to determine whether or
what type of legislation is needed in the 106th Congress. TTD is supporting a
provision in the Senate bill that will set-up a panel to examine issues
surrounding contract repair stations and allow the FAA to collect certain
information from domestic and foreign stations. While this is not a solution to
the problems created by FAR 145, it will assist policy makers in understanding
the complexities of this issue and I urge the Committee to include a similar
provision in its FAA reauthorization bill. Small Airport Certification TTD is
extremely interested in ensuring that the work on small airport certification,
which began with the FAA Reauthorization Act of 1996, is completed. As you
recall, the 1996 bill wisely gave the FAA the authority to certify airports that
service planes with 30 or fewer seats. Aviation labor unanimously supported this
measure, which is consistent with the FAA's One Level of Safety program.
However, the FAA has so far failed to issue regulations which are needed to set
this program in motion, leaving small airport certification in essentially the
same situation it was in before action was taken by Congress in 1996. This
Committee sought to address this problem by including a provision in last year's
bill that would have required the FAA to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
on small airport certification within 180 days. In addition, the bill
established grants for airports to meet these certification requirements. TTD
supported these provisions last year and we urge the Committee to accomplish the
same objective in this year's bill. Universal Access System Another issue that
was wisely included in last year's bill is the authorization for a Universal
Access System, a good example of addressing issues with technology deployment.
This will ensure that air carrier employees can move throughout the aviation
system in a more efficient mariner that does not jeopardize but in fact enhances
aviation security. This is a very important issue to ALPA, and TTD strongly
urges the Committee to once again address this matter in this year's bill.
Traffic Alert Collision Avoidance System As this Committee is aware, the FAA has
yet to require the use of the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System If
(TCAS II) in aircraft flown In all-cargo operations. TCAS II is currently
mandated on passenger aircraft with over 30 seats and has proven its
effectiveness time and time again. Because aircraft of all sizes and purposes
share our airspace it makes no sense that the burgeoning cargo segment of the
aviation industry isn't required to apply TCAS II in their cockpits. For these
reasons TCAS II is being supported by virtually every pilots' union and has the
strong endorsement of TTD's executive committee. 3 I want to thank the Committee
for attempting to address this issue in last year's bill and particularly for
the hard work of Ranking Member Lipinski in bringing the issue to the forefront.
We hope the Committee will pick-up where it left off last year and require the
FAA to issue a rule on collision avoidance systems as soon as possible. Airport
Crash and Rescue Standards The current FAA regulations that govern aircraft
rescue and fire fighting are inadequate and do not mandate sufficient personnel
levels, training or equipment to meet the growing challenges faced by fire
fighters at our nation's airports. The mission of the airport fire fighter
established by the FAA is also troubling. The FAA does not direct fire fighters
to rescue the crew and passengers, but instead states only that they provide an
escape path from a burning aircraft. The responsibility for evacuation is
therefore left to the flight crews. These deficiencies in regulations are
especially problematic since the vast majority of aircraft crashes take place at
take- off and landing, precisely when fire and rescue teams are in the best
position to respond. At a time when the FAA and aircraft manufacturers are
cooperating to make the passengers' chance of survival greater than ever, it
makes little sense not to invest the time and resources necessary to ensure that
rescue and fire fighting personnel are prepared to meet the challenges of
responding to aircraft emergencies. One of TTD's affiliates, the International
Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), represents fire fighters at airports
throughout the country and has proposed draft legislation that will address this
problem. 4 We urge the Committee to include this language in its FAA bill so
that fire fighters can be given the resources and training they need to protect
passengers and crew members in the event that an accident does occur. Carry-on
Bags A safety issue that has received a great deal of recent attention are the
problems created by excessive and overweight carry-on bags. I know Ranking
Member Lipinski has taken a lead on this matter and I want to thank him for his
interest and activism on this issue. The problem is simple to identify -
passengers are bringing too many items on board an aircraft creating a safety
hazard for crew members and making it more difficult for pilots to plan for safe
landings and takeoffs. Rules at individual airlines are inconsistent and used by
some carriers as a competitive issue to attract passengers without regard to the
safety concerns inherent in such a policy. Thousands of flight attendants, other
crew members and passengers are injured every year either by bags failing from
the overhead bins or in the boarding and deplaning of an aircraft. 3 Attached at
3 is a resolution adopted at TTD's 1997 Winter Executive Committee meeting
calling on the FAA to require the implementation of TCAS II in all-cargo
aircraft. (Attachment 3 is available on hard copy). 4 Attached at 4. (Attachment
is available on hard copy only). This issue must be addressed and fortunately a
straightforward solution does exist. The Association of Flight Attendants, a TTD
member union, has filed a petition with the FAA asking the agency to issue a
uniform rule to limit the volume of carry-on bags. Under the proposed rule, the
total volume of carry-on bags that a passenger would be allowed to bring on
board could not exceed 45 linear inches and could not weigh more than 6
kilograms (13.5 lbs.). In addition, airlines would be required to enforce these
limits prior to boarding. Mobility and assisted devises for disabled passengers
would be exempted from this limit as would approved child restraint seats. TTD's
executive committee is expected to formally endorse this petition later this
month and I urge the Committee to use the petition as a guide to craft a
legislative solution that can be included in the FAA reauthorization bill. Crew
Member Protection In the course of enforcing safety and security regulations,
aviation crew members frequently deal with passengers that become
confrontational or even violent. This is becoming a growing concern as workers
cannot be expected to meet their safety obligations if they themselves are
subjected to physical violence from those they are seeking to protect. In the
Senate, Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) included a provision in his bill that would
allow for a $10,000 fine of passengers who interfere with the duties of a crew
member. We urge this Committee to not only include similar language in its
version of FAA reauthorization, but to also direct the FAA to take appropriate
steps to inform passengers about the legal and safety ramifications of
interfering with flight attendants or pilots who are simply trying to do their
jobs. Child Restraint Seats As more and more people utilize our nation's
aviation system, it is inevitable that more young passengers will travel by air.
Unfortunately, the FAA's policy allowing a child under the age of two to be
placed on a parent's lap instead of in a child restraint seat, jeopardizes the
safety of our most vulnerable passengers. It is an unfortunate fact that far too
many unrestrained children have been killed or injured as a result of crashes or
heavy turbulence. For example, in July 1994 during the fatal crash of a USAir
plane in Charlotte, North Carolina, an unrestrained infant was killed when her
mother could not hold onto her on impact. The NTSB, which supports the use of
child restraint seats, believes that if the child had been secured in the next
seat in a restraint system, she would have survived the accident. While the FAA
is to be applauded for its recent request for additional information on this
issue the fact is the agency has yet to issue any concrete proposals on child
restraint seats. In the last Congress, Representatives Peter DeFazlo (D-OR) and
Christopher Shays (R-CT) took the lead on this issue and introduced H.R. 754 -
legislation which would mandate the use of child restraints for children under
the age of two. Even the airline industry showed its support for the use of
child restraint seats when major airlines announced a 50 percent discount fare
to all children under two flying with their parents. This will make it more
affordable for families flying with small children to place their child in a
restraint system. We therefore urge the Committee to follow the lead of the Gore
Commission, the NTSB, and transportation labor by including this proposal in the
FAA bill. Runway Safety A number of accidents occur not in the skies above, but
on our runways where survivability is statistically much more likely. We must
therefore ensure that our runways are as safe as possible and equipped with the
most up to date technology. ALPA has been a leader on this issue and I know that
the union has had numerous discussions with the Committee on how to best address
this issue. I would note that TTD joined with ALPA in supporting a legislative
provision last year that would have required the FAA to start a rulemaking on
ways to improve runway safety and specifically a requirement to install
precision approach path indicators. We hope the Committee will work with the
pilots to address these outstanding concerns. Wildlife Hazards A growing problem
confronting passengers and flight crews is the increase of wildlife interference
with aircraft that results in thousands of life-threatening incidents and
hundreds of millions of dollars worth of damage. Fortunately, this hazard is
largely preventable and in fact a number of airports have instituted programs
that have greatly reduced this threat. However, not all airports have adopted
these programs, many airlines have not taken adequate steps to address this
issue and most airline pilots are not trained in wildlife avoidance procedures.
It is clear that the FAA must do more to mitigate the threats that wildlife
strikes. Specifically, wildlife mitigation programs and surveys must be better
funded and federal agencies, including the FAA, should be encouraged to enter
into a memorandum of understanding aimed at resolving areas of conflict that may
arise in the effort to address this safety concern. I know that ALPA is
particularly involved in trying to address this issue and we urge the Committee
to examine ways it can reduce this threat as it considers the FAA bill. Air
Cabin Quality Concern for the health of flight attendants and the public has
increased as a result of various studies documenting poor cabin air quality on
board commercial aircraft. As the level of fresh air has decreased in the cabin,
flight attendants, other crew members and passengers are at risk of exposure to
toxins and viruses. Flight attendants who routinely work in cabins with poor air
quality complain of respiratory problems and other health difficulties such as
dizziness, severe headaches and loss of balance. This is not only a concern for
the health of airline crew members, but obviously carrier employees who become
sick due to poor air quality may not be able to perform their safety- sensitive
duties. The Association of Flights Attendants has taken a lead on this issue and
is currently examining options for how best to deal with this issue. Because of
the severity of this problem and the interest that many on this Committee have
demonstrated, it may be appropriate for the 106th Congress to act on this matter
once a viable solution can be developed. Airport Privatization One area in which
TTD would urge this Committee not to act is to expand on the airport
privatization pilot program instituted in the 1996 reauthorization bill. As this
Committee is aware, TTD expressed serious concerns about this policy experiment
when this issue was debated in the last Congress. We remain concerned that in a
rush to demonstrate a profit, some operators may be tempted to make decisions
that are not in the best interest of overall airport safety and may jeopardize
the rights of airport employees. While some may wish to allow additional public
airports to be turned over to the private sector, we would recommend that the
current program be fully evaluated to understand the long-term consequences of
airport privatization on the entire aviation community. Final Thoughts This
Committee and the entire Congress has an opportunity to make fundamental and
positive changes to our nation's aviation system. For aviation labor our
objectives are clear: - the aviation trust fund must be unlocked to meet the
critical needs of the aviation system; - FAA employees must be given the
resources - in a fair environment - to carry-out their safety-sensitive
responsibilities and calls to contract-out these jobs must be rejected; -
federal labor standards including Davis-Bacon must apply to all airport projects
including those utilizing innovative financing techniques; and - the safety
initiatives long identified by aviation unions must be implemented without
further delay. These objectives are comprehensive in nature and must be taken
together. The aviation system will not improve if it is fully funded but done so
in a way that jeopardizes the rights and jobs of the public and private sector
workforce. In the reauthorization of ISTEA, labor worked with each one of you to
ensure that our common goals were met and that a solid bill could be passed
which represented sound transportation policy. We look forward to doing the same
to make our aviation system safer and even more secure and the envy of the
entire world.
LOAD-DATE: February 5, 1999