On the recordFebruary 3, 2012
The need to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration is urgent. A failure to do so could result in the loss of thousands of jobs and compromise flight safety. This Congress should pass a clean reauthorization without compromising the right of thousands of workers to collectively bargain. This bill does not do that. Instead, it replaces over 70 years of labor law precedent in which major changes were agreed upon by both workers and management, with changes decided upon by a handful of negotiators in Congress. It will increase the percentage of employees who must petition to have an election about whether to be represented by a union, from 35 percent to 50 percent. The bill makes it even harder for workers to organize and bargain for better wages, working conditions and passenger safety. We must not undermine the workers who have borne the brunt of the great recession. We should stand behind them
