May 27, 2009 - The House of Representatives has passed the FAA Reauthorization Bill containing many of the major provisions the Machinists Union has spearhead in recent years.
The bill (H.R. 915) includes funding for a Next Generation air traffic control system, provides for safety and health standards for flight attendants, mandates increased supervision of overseas aircraft repair stations, requires a review of FAA air traffic control staffing and closes the FedEx loophole that helped keep the package delivery company largely non-union by placing non-airport employees under the jurisdiction of the Railway Labor Act.
"The House's passage of the bill is an significant first step in protecting our skies and people working in the aviation field," said General Vice President Robert Roach, Jr. "We urge the Senate to take swift action on a comparable bill so this important legislation can be enacted."
