“ALPA Calls On Congress To Immediately Pass Standalone Legislation..."

The White House announced that it will cease negotiations for economic protections that would assist tens of thousands of aviation workers. Capt. Joe DePete (pictured), president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), issued the following statement:

“Today is a sad day for our nation, the U.S. aviation industry, and the workers who help keep our skies safe and our world connected. Despite bipartisan support for the most effective job-loss prevention measure on record, the president signaled today that he instructed negotiators to end talks with Congress over a COVID-19 relief bill, which included an extension of the Payroll Support Program (PSP). With the expiration of this program last week, tens of thousands aviation careers came to end, homes were lost, lives have been shattered, and our economic recovery will be stalled.

“ALPA calls on Congress to immediately pass standalone legislation that provides meaningful assistance to the frontline workers who keep our aviation system moving safely each and every day. We will continue to work with our allies in the labor movement to save jobs—and all options to do so will remain on the table.

“Airline pilots are considered ‘essential’ to the U.S. economy, especially in challenging times, which is why we will continue to seek solutions that provide relief to our industry. However, for the thousands of aviation workers who have been grounded, a return to flight may not be possible.”

FMI: www.alpa.org