(The TTD distributed the following release.)
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — The Executive Committee of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD) today endorsed legislation, S. 338, to thwart the Bush Administration’s ongoing “ideologically-driven campaign to privatize air traffic services” and condemned a recent Bush Administration designation that these activities are “commercial” rather than “inherently governmental.”
Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s bill, S. 338, would designate nearly all FAA air traffic services as “inherently governmental.” The designation would apply to air traffic controllers, flight service specialists and air traffic technicians. This Senate effort occurs at the same time as dozens of House Members from both parties have written the Administration to challenge its privatization agenda. “The loud and bipartisan calls from Capitol Hill demonstrate just how out of touch – and how dangerous – the notion of privatizing air traffic control and services really is,” said TTD President Sonny Hall.
In their joint resolution, the leaders of 35 AFL-CIO transportation unions note that a “scan of the globe shows nothing but failure wherever privatization has been tried. Whether it’s the insolvency of the British system or the steep increases in fees passed onto passengers in Canada or the chronic fatigue caused by short-staffing in the Australian system, the lesson is crystal clear: we should not privatize our air traffic system.”
In urging Congress to review actions by the Transportation Department’s Inspector General (IG), the TTD resolution sharply rebuked recent congressional testimony by the Transportation Department’s Inspector General who “disingenuously pointed to controller salaries, compensation and agreements with the FAA as problems within the Agency.” The TTD statement said that the IG “demonized the hard working men and women who everyday safely guide hundreds of thousands of airplanes across our nation,” and failed to report that a staggering staffing shortage results in astronomical overtime costs, overworked employees and too few inspections of the system. Mead also neglected to even mention the looming crisis with controller retirements in the next decade, the resolution added.
For a copy of the resolution, visit www.ttd.org or call 202/628-9262.
TTD represents 35 member unions in the aviation, rail, transit, trucking, highway, longshore, maritime and related industries. For more information, visit www.ttd.org