Likely New Chair Of House Transportation Committee Will Strip Union Measure From FAA Bill

Representative John Mica (R-FL) (pictured), who is likely to take over the gavel of the House Transportation Committee in January, said in an interview that his top priority will be an FAA reauthorization bill that does not include changes in union organization rules for FedEx Express.

Both chambers of Congress passed bills last year, but the measures could not be reconciled between the two bodies. One of the sticking points was a provision in the bill championed by House Committee Chair James Oberstar (D-MN) which would have made it easier for employees of FedEx Express to organize into a union. The two Republican Senators from Tennessee, where FedEx is based, had vowed to keep the provision out of the final version of the bill.

The Wall Street Journal quotes Mica as saying "Mr. Oberstar's gone and that issue is gone." Oberstar lost his bid for re-election last week.

If the union fight is truly off the table, Mica said the only remaining major difference deals with the number of long-distance flights at Ronald Reagan National Airport. Mica said he thinks those concerns can be dealt with easily.

The FAA reauthorization will also serve as a funding mechanism for NextGen.

FMI: http://mica.house.gov