Fri, Mar 21, 2003
Airline Workers Deserve More Job Protections
The following statement was issued Thursday by Teamsters General
President James P. Hoffa:
"Since September 11, 2001, no industry has been
hit harder than the airline business. More than 150,000 airline
workers have already lost their jobs in the United States and
thousands more have seen their wages and benefits slashed as their
employers fight to stay afloat.
"The last time we engaged in war in the Middle East, airlines
were hit hard. If air travel experiences a similar decline in these
shaky economic times, airline workers will face more unprecedented
losses. The Bush Administration is in a unique position where they
have the opportunity to assist the nation's airline workers who
will surely be one of the first groups of workers to feel the
economic impact of this conflict.
"Workers within the aviation industry have already
dealt with the tragedy of terrorism and its effect on their
livelihood. As a result, the government allocated $15 billion to
the airlines as part of the Air Transportation Stabilization
Act."
The U.S. airline industry, its employees and those who utilize
its services must be protected.
As federal money approved for loan guarantees will not actually
be spent unless a guaranteed airline defaults, the unused funds
should be allocated to a new fund that would provide airline
workers who are negatively affected by a war with Iraq. That fund
should provide workers with:
- Extended unemployment benefits for six months;
- Health care coverage that would pay 75% of an eligible worker's
COBRA continuation or temporary state Medicaid coverage for those
not covered under COBRA; and
- Job retraining assistance.
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