Technician Shortage, Abandonment of Preventive Maintenance Primary Among Union’s Concerns
WASHINGTON, DC—Thomas Brantley, president of Professional Airways Systems Specialists, AFL-CIO (PASS), today told the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Aviation that FAA policy changes potentially threaten the safety of America’s air travel system.
WASHINGTON, DC—The loss of commercial power at Tampa International Airport on Saturday has raised serious concerns for Professional Airways Systems Specialists (PASS), the union that represents airport technicians. The outage caused four hours of radio problems and a loss of communication between air traffic controllers and pilots for 20 minutes.
May 6, 2005 - 1:01:00 PM
Complaint Alleges FAA Breached Labor Agreement with Technicians Union
WASHINGTON, DC—Professional Airways Systems Specialists(PASS), AFL-CIO, the labor organization representing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees who maintain, certify, repair and install equipment in the air traffic control system, is seeking an order from a federal arbitrator requiring the FAA to rescind a service contract awarded in February 2005 to Lockheed Martin for the operation of the FAA’s automated flight service stations. Flight service stations provide weather and aeronautical information to our nation’s pilots around the country.
Report Highlights FAA’s Insufficient Staffing and Budgetary Constraints
WASHINGTON, DC— On June 3, the Office of the Inspector General (IG) released its “Audit of Safety Oversight of an Air Carrier Industry in Transition,” which highlights the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) current budget and staffing challenges in light of the subsequent changes occurring in the industry and the corresponding risks to air safety. Professional Airways Systems Specialists (PASS), the union that represents FAA safety inspectors, supports the IG’s investigation into aviation safety oversight. “We are pleased to see the IG draw attention to the serious issue of the oversight of our airline industry,” said Linda Goodrich, PASS regional vice president representing FAA inspectors.
On June 4, there was a major power outage at Philadelphia International Airport when there were problems with the one power line to the tower. That power line was over 25 years old and in substandard condition. Watch the local television story on the outage featuring PASS Representative Bryant Spry, Chapter 142, by clicking on the following link. http://kyw.dayport.com/launcher/14628/?tf=video_player.tpl
