FAA Bill Has Been Stalled In Congress Since 2007

As Congressional leaders begin to return to work after summer recess, six unions representing over 90,000 flight attendants at 37 U.S. airlines, urged members to quickly pass the comprehensive reauthorization of the FAA that was almost completed earlier this year. After 15 continuing resolutions, both the House and Senate passed versions that contained several key provisions favored by flight attendant unions, but the differences have yet to be resolved.

"Passage of the FAA Reauthorization bill, which contains several flight attendant specific safety related items, is long overdue and must be a legislative priority. We call on Congress to finish the work they started, work out the differences between the two bills, and pass a comprehensive FAA reauthorization. Short term extensions are no longer a viable option. It is time that workplace safety and health protections for flight attendants are finally addressed," stated leaders from the Flight Attendant Coalition.

Measures previously included in the recent version of the FAA Reauthorization are funding for a flight attendant fatigue study; the inclusion of OSHA workplace safety and health protections; a ban on smoking onboard charter flights; notification of pesticide application on flights; a ban on cell phones while in flight; cabin air quality provisions that would initiate development of air quality sensors and filtration; further definition of provisions restricting foreign control of U.S. airlines; a "Return to the Cabin" program that will allow flight attendants an opportunity for rehabilitation after testing positive for drug or alcohol abuse; and temperature standards for aircraft.

The Coalition consists of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), the Transport Workers Union (TWU), and the United Steelworkers (USW).

FMI: www.house.gov, www.senate.gov, www.afanet.org