PASS Changes Its Name

WASHINGTON, D.C The Professional Airways Systems Specialists (PASS), AFL-CIO, the union that represents more than 11,000 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Defense (DoD) employees, voted to change its name to Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS), AFL-CIO. Among other things, PASS members install, maintain, support and certify air traffic control and national defense equipment, inspect and oversee the commercial and general aviation industries, develop flight procedures and perform quality analyses of the aviation systems. PASS members are comprised of the following professions:

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Buffalo Communications Failure is the Latest Issue to be Ignored by the FAA

BUFFALO, NY - Tuesday’s telecommunications outage at Buffalo Airport has the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS), the union that represents Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) technicians, wondering when the FAA plans to address serious deficiencies in Harris Corporation’s Federal Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI), which provides circuitry and communications for the FAA. The outage comes on the heels of identical large-scale outages in Memphis, Austin and Jacksonville.

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PASS Highlights Safety Concerns at Aircraft Maintenance Outsourcing Summit

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS), AFL-CIO, the union that represents more than 11,000 FAA employees, including aviation safety inspectors, participated in the 2008 Aircraft Maintenance Outsourcing Summit. The summit, which was hosted by the Business Travel Coalition and International Brotherhood of Teamsters, was an opportunity for several members of the aviation community to come together and discuss the outsourcing practices of the U.S. airline industry and the increased use of foreign repair stations. PASS Regional Vice President Linda Goodrich served as a panel member and highlighted several areas of concern regarding FAA oversight of outsourced maintenance.

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Dedicated Federal Employees Keep Air Traffic Moving During Major Power Outage

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Tuesday’s power outage across South Florida did not impact air traffic in the area due to the work performed everyday by dedicated Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, said the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO (PASS), the union that represents FAA technicians. The important jobs performed by FAA technicians behind the scenes helped to ensure that the FAA facilities in the area moved to backup power and the outage did not affect area air traffic.

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Communications Outage Highlights Serious Flaws at the FAA

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS), AFL-CIO, the union that represents Federal Aviation Administration systems specialists, are highlighting serious issues uncovered at Leesburg Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) following Monday’s communications outage that lasted an hour and resulted in 60 delays impacting air traffic from New York to Jacksonville.

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