PASS President at TTD Executive Committee Meeting
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- Published: February 25, 2016
PASS National President Mike Perrone joined other transportation union leaders at the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) Executive Committee meeting last weekend in San Diego to discuss a variety of crucial transportation priorities and issues of focus regarding the upcoming presidential election.
Led by TDD President Edward Wytkind, the Executive Committee worked together to address collective bargaining rights and job security of transportation workers by supporting legislation that urges Congress to protect and expand the transportation sector. “We are committed to countering the dangerous austerity agenda in certain corners of Congress that threatens to starve job creation investments in transportation,” said Wytkind. “We will also focus on critical safety issues plaguing our sector and fighting corporate efforts to weaken the job security and collective bargaining rights of transportation workers.”
The meeting was an opportunity for PASS to continue voicing opposition to privatization of the air traffic control system. Perrone was able to address Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx and other Executive Committee members and share PASS’s concerns regarding language in the Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act (H.R.4441) that privatizes the air traffic control system. Perrone emphasized the major concerns that PASS and other unions have about the separation of the air traffic control system and the impact it would have on the safety of the flying public.
Also in attendance was the lead Democrat on the House Transportation Infrastructure Committee, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.). DeFazio has expressed his concerns with H.R.4441, stating, “We cannot jeopardize aviation safety by devolving that responsibility to private interests with eyes trained on balance sheets. We should not hand over a public asset worth tens of billions of dollars to a private corporation for free, and we cannot give a private corporation the power to tax the American public to pay for a traditionally governmental function. The AIRR Act will not fix the real problems plaguing the FAA.”
Other specific areas of concentration during the Executive Meeting included opposition concerning Canadian Pacific Railway’s attempted takeover of Norfolk Southern; legislation that imposes stiffer criminal penalties on anyone who assaults airline customer service representatives; fully funding the Maritime Security Program (MSP); and working towards measures to boost aviation security.
Members can find out more about TTD’s effort on their website. For more important information to the fight against privatization, access important PASS news, action alerts, congressional letters and other items here.