(The Associated Press circulated the following on July 27, 2010.)
DALLAS — Three unions that represent airline workers say they will work together to lobby for tighter aircraft-maintenance rules and protection for workers whose airlines file for bankruptcy protection.
The Teamsters, the Transport Workers Union and Coalition of Airline Pilots Association say they represent more than 140,000 airline workers.
The unions said they would focus first on a wide-ranging bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration. U.S.-based workers want standards imposed on overseas repair bases, which they view as a threat to U.S. jobs.
James C. Little, president of the Transport Workers, said security and safety measures have been weakened because of the airline industry’s financial and competitive pressures.
Several unions are in the middle of contract negotiations with the major airlines. Unions want to recover some of the wage and benefit cuts of the past 10 years, but many airlines have suffered large losses over the last two years.