Senator Lautenberg (NJ) and Senator Inhofe (OK) have introduced S3416, a bill that restores fairness for employees at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by correcting ambiguities in current law covering labor negotiations.  The bill also addresses the Agency’s unilaterally imposed work rules on the air traffic controller workforce. 

The bill does the following:

• Corrects the collective bargaining process at the FAA.
• Directs the FAA to resume negotiations with the air traffic controllers under terms of last mutually agreed upon contract in order to provide incentive for both sides to bargain in good faith and reach an agreement.
• Provides a 45-day deadline for the two sides to come to an agreement (all outstanding disputes, if not resolved through mediation, would then go to binding arbitration where a decision must be rendered within an additional 90 days).

This bill will never be marked-up (committee vote) in the Senate this session. However, our reasons for this strategy are numerous.

First, we want to continue putting pressure on the Senate to address FAA Reauthorization (S1300). This bill is another reminder to the Senate that we are not going away and the issues affecting safe and efficient air travel are urgent and need to be addressed.

Second, we want to put pressure on as many Democrats and Republicans as we can to cosponsor the bill because we've been asked by the majority to get a whip count.

Third, if we are able to get enough cosponsors to overcome a cloture vote, Senator Reid will be able to see clear and necessary support to attach the bill as an amendment to any other vehicle moving, or in the base of S1300.

And finally, at some point in time, when Reauthorization gets to conference, a large majority cosponsoring the Senate stand alone bill will strengthen our leverage in the conference to get the House language into the conference report.

We have this system set up to target specific Senate offices to garner support for this bill.    

We continue to pursue a comprehensive FAA Reauthorization bill this year.  

IF YOU ARE NOT A FAA EMPLOYEE, YOU WILL NEED TO CHANGE THE FIRST SENTENCE OF THE LETTER TO "CONCERNED FLYER/PILOT" OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employee, I am writing to you to ask for your support on S3416 by co-sponsoring this important legislation. S3416 was introduced on 7/31/2008 by Senator Lautenberg and Senator Inhofe. The bill restores fairness for employees at the FAA. The bill also addresses the Agency's unilaterally imposed work rules on the air traffic controller workforce.

The bill does the following:

- Corrects the collective bargaining process at the FAA.

- Directs the FAA to resume negotiations with the air traffic controllers under terms of last mutually agreed upon contract in order to provide incentive for both sides to bargain in good faith and reach an agreement.

- Provides a 45-day deadline for the two sides to come to an agreement (all outstanding disputes, if not resolved through mediation, would then go to binding arbitration where a decision must be rendered within an additional 90 days).

- The bill DOES NOT contain back pay for air traffic controllers.

The FAA has consistently refused to engage in good faith collective bargaining with American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), and Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS), which collectively represent over 33,000 employees at the FAA. This bill is critical in encouraging fair and good faith collective bargaining between the FAA and the unions that represent its employees.

As a result of the FAA's unilaterally imposed work rules, attrition from the air traffic controller ranks has skyrocketed. Since the imposition of the work rules, over 2,600 controllers and trainees have left the FAA - nearly one-fifth of the total workforce. This mass exodus of controllers has left the system staffed at only 71% of the acceptable level and with the fewest number of Certified Professional Controllers in 16 years. Rampant understaffing has caused a significant increase in controller workload and a subsequent need to increase the use of overtime, resulting in a dangerous and unsustainable rise in controller fatigue.

Since the imposition of the imposed work rules, the system has seen what even the FAA describes as "significant increase in operational errors across the country", as well as record delays across the United States. Both the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Government Accounting Office (GAO) have expressed growing concern over controller fatigue and the rise in runway incursions, and the Department of Transportation Inspector General has raised concerns over dangerously high trainee ratios.

Please join Senator Lautenberg and Senator Inhofe in protecting aviation safety in the United States. It is critical that this situation be addressed. Please contact David Matsuda in Senator Lautenberg's office to co-sponsor S3416.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
September 16, 2008