The FAA Reauthorization Bill: What Does it Mean to You?
Other changes to the original bill include cutting $2 billion from the Airport Improvement Program, which provides grants to airports for constructing and improving runways and terminals, as well as various other parts of airports.
One of the biggest partisan issues with the bill is how it impacts workers; specifically unionized workers. The bill would reverse a National Mediation Board rule that allows a majority of those voting in aviation and rail union elections to decide the outcome. Previously, under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), which includes both rail and airline workers, each worker who did not cast a vote in a representation election was automatically counted as a "no" vote.
The House and Senate aren't the only parts of government embroiled in this debate. At the end of March 2011, the office of President Obama stated that it was opposed to the bill because it "would undermine a fundamental principle of fairness in union representation elections - that outcomes should be determined by a majority of the valid ballots cast".
As for the airlines themselves, some Delta Airlines employees are leading the charge. The group "No Way AFA", a group of Delta employees who are anti-unions, sent a message to it's members that read "Delta strongly supports the bill".
Unless you are currently employed by an airline or airport, you will likely not see many changes from the result of the failure or passage of H.R. 658, but you will definitely hear about it in the news as the Democratic Executive Branch and Republican Legislature Branch continue to debate the future of the FAA Reauthorization Bill. Be sure to stay informed on the progress of H.R. 658 to see if it will ultimately impact airline ticket prices.
Resources:
http://blog.heritage.org/?p=56079
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-jim-mcgovern/gop-bill-destroys-jobs-of_b_843224.html
http://transportation.nationaljournal.com/2011/03/faa-bill-whats-left-to-decide.php?rss=1
Published by Elizabeth Reed
Elizabeth is an avid traveler and photographer who has lived in Gdansk, Poland and Berlin, Germany and has spent extensive time in Switzerland and China. A recent college grad, she was the CFO for the large... View profile
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