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15
Nov
Today, the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO (PASS), released the following statement from National President David Spero on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act:
On behalf of the 11,000 employees PASS represents at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Defense (DoD), I applaud the bipartisan infrastructure bill signed into law by President Biden today. Our members and bargaining unit employees are aviation safety professionals who install, maintain, support and certify air traffic control and national defense equipment, and inspect and oversee the commercial and general aviation industries.
The $25 billion provided for upgrading airports and air traffic control facilities is welcome news and a long overdue investment in the physical infrastructure that supports aviation safety. Many FAA facilities are in serious need of upgrades, from HVAC systems to roofs and plumbing. Our members are continually introducing new technologies and systems to support the national airspace and should be doing so in safe, modern facilities.
The influx of funds throughout the transportation sector will have a substantial and lasting impact on all Americans and we applaud the efforts of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who helped to take this bill over the finish line. PASS looks forward to being an integral part of implementing the aviation-related portions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
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04
Oct
Today, PASS joined a coalition of 20 unions who represent federal employees asking that the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Office of Presidential Personnel act swiftly to approve President Biden’s nominees to the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA).
In a letter sent to Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), chair of the committee, and Ambassador Catherine Russell at the White House, the Federal Workers Alliance requested that the committee “schedule immediately a hearing to advance Ernest W. DuBester’s nomination for FLRA Chairman, Susan T. Grundmann’s nomination for FLRA Member, and Kurt Rumsfeld’s nomination for FLRA General Counsel.”
The FLRA is an independent administrative federal agency created by Title VII of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, also known as the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute, to govern labor relations between the federal government and its employees.
Under the previous administration, the general counsel’s office was vacant from November 2017 until the Biden administration took over and appointed an acting general counsel in March. The more than three-year-vacancy led to a backlog of unfair labor practice cases that still need to be cleared up.
“There has been an effort over the last several years to undermine how collective bargaining works in the federal sector,” said PASS National President David J. Spero. “It’s time to have confirmed members on the FLRA who understand how the Statute should function in order to protect the rights of federal employees.”
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