On November 17, President Trump signed into law the TSP Modernization Act of 2017 (H.R.3031) which makes a number of changes to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) to assist current and retired federal employees. The legislation received bipartisan support and was introduced by Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) in the House and Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Tom Carper (D-Del.) in the Senate.
This Thanksgiving, PASS is thankful for our members and the dedication you show every day as you serve your country. You maintain and protect the largest, safest, most complex aviation system in the world.
In a real-world illustration depicting how the labor community helps its members, attendees at the PASS National Convention this summer were honored to host Will Attig, the executive director of the AFL-CIO Union Veterans Council as a guest speaker. The Council joins with union leaders and members who are veterans to speak out on veterans’ issues and improve the quality of life for veterans and their families. The group is focused on giving veterans access to good jobs, quality health care and advocates for a fully-funded Department of Veterans Affairs. PASS is proud to be part of this important group. In honor of Veterans Day 2017, PASS reprints his story.
With support from PASS National, PASS members from Chapters FL1 and FL2 stocked up on massive amounts of supplies to assist their brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico, still struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria.
The FAA chartered a FedEx MD-11 which could hold 150,000 pounds of cargo. PASS collected over 60,000 pounds and the union canvassed local Orlando nonprofits that had also collected goods and provided them the extra space on the plane. The supplies departed Orlando International Airport Tuesday and landed in San Juan late Wednesday night. PASS leaders from Chapters PR1 and PR2 are in the process of taking inventory and determining how best to distribute the goods.
PASS applauds Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Bill Shuster’s (R-Pa.) comments on the House floor yesterday on Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico: "FAA technicians are working around the clock to restore services, but because of the extent of the damage and challenges of the terrain where equipment is located, it is difficult to determine when full restoration will happen."
Read Rep. Shuster's floor remarks Read PASS's full statement
In an operation most likely undertaken throughout Florida, the Texas Gulf Coast and the Caribbean over the past two weeks, Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS), AFL-FIO members in Orlando spearheaded the response efforts to get their airport, Orlando International Airport (MCO), back online after Hurricane Irma shut it down on Sunday night through Monday. These Federal Aviation Administration employees—like their counterparts at other affected airports—have been instrumental in getting aviation back up and running in the affected areas.
