PASS Praises President's Rescinding of Anti-Federal Employee EOs

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22 Jan

The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO (PASS), praised President Joe Biden’s action today that rescinded the three executive orders (EOs) issued in May 2018 that stripped away collective bargaining and other workplace rights from federal employees.

“PASS has been advocating for nearly three years that those executive orders were not only detrimental to the 11,000 employees we represent at the Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense,” said PASS National President Mike Perrone. “But they were harmful to the American flying public as well. Our aviation safety employees should be focused on just that—aviation safety—and not losing workplace protections.”

The EO signed by the president today also eliminated the new Schedule F, created through executive order in October 2020, that would have stripped the vast majority of workplace protections from certain federal employees in “confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating positions.” Those employees could also have been fired without cause.

Finally, it appears that the new EO will also widen the scope of bargaining for federal employees by ordering agencies to bargain over permissive subjects under the federal labor statute.

“The new administration came in pledging to restore these rights to federal employees and PASS, on behalf the employees we represent, welcomes today’s action,” said President Perrone.

President-elect Biden's Nomination for Transportation Secretary

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16 Dec

PASS congratulates Pete Buttigieg on his nomination as DOT Secretary in the incoming Biden administration. We represent 11,000 employees at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) who protect, maintain and certify the largest, safest and most complex air traffic control system in the world. We look forward to working with Mr. Buttigieg to promote aviation safety and ensure that the FAA employees we represent have the resources, staffing and rights necessary to perform their safety critical work on behalf of the American people. We encourage the Senate to expeditiously consider and approve this nomination.

PASS Member Doug Lowe Honored With ATCA Award

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24 Nov

Congratulations are in order for Chapter FL1 President Doug Lowe! Lowe will be recognized by the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) with its Airway Transportation Systems Specialists Award.

"All of our ATSSs are deserving of recognition for the work they do every day and it is a great honor to have one of our own acknowledged publicly,” said PASS National President Mike Perrone. “Congratulations, Doug!"

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PASS Congratulates President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris

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07 Nov

The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS), AFL-CIO, the union that represents over 11,000 employees at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Defense (DoD), released this statement regarding the election of Joe Biden as the next president of the United States:

PASS congratulates President-elect Biden on his victory and looks forward to working with his administration at all levels to ensure that the important work of the American public can be conducted without impediment. The union also recognizes the historic election of Sen. Kamala Harris as the first woman who will serve as Vice President.

PASS has always been willing to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and regardless of which party occupied the White House. “As a union, PASS focuses on policy and legislation that impact the federal workforce and aviation safety, not candidates.” said National President Mike Perrone.

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PASS Supports Congressional Action to Assist Airline Employees

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02 Oct

PASS stands with the aviation industry employees who have been furloughed after lawmakers failed to extend the Payroll Support Program. That provision in the CARES Act kept hundreds of thousands of airline workers employed by preventing the airlines from issuing layoff or furlough notices but it expired at midnight, September 30. Now, tens of thousands of aviation industry workers are facing weeks, if not months, of no pay unless Congress can reach agreement to support the industry.

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PASS Supports House Transportation Committee Bill on FAA Certification

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29 Sep

For years, the Profesional Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO (PASS), has called upon the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Congress to reexamine the Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program, as direct FAA involvement in aircraft certification has been significantly reduced and more oversight has been turned over to industry. PASS has asked the FAA to put the brakes on expanding ODA, as called for in the 2018 FAA reauthorization. While the system is not entirely broken, holes have developed that jeopardize aviation safety and the flying public. The bi-partisan Aircraft Certification Reform and Accountability Act, introduced by the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on September 28, 2020, takes the much-needed steps to close those holes and ensure that aircraft manufactured in the United States are held to the highest standards. PASS supports this legislation as it Increases the agency’s oversight role and authority in the certification process while empowering FAA employees with the tools, skills and resources to keep pace with new and emerging technology. “The Aviation Safety employees that PASS represents at the FAA are highly skilled and trained professionals,” said PASS National President Mike Perrone. “The union is grateful that committee members on both sides of the aisle aim to provide them with the resources they need to accomplish the mission of the FAA and in doing so, protect the American flying public.”