Policy

The AFA, IAM and TWU submit this joint statement to articulate our unions’ shared opposition to the application of Norwegian Air International (NAI) for a foreign air carrier permit and exemption (Docket: DOT-OST-2013-0204). We call on the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to deny NAI’s application for an exemption so that the proper evaluation and adjudication processes can be completed.

The ETF and TTD join in this submission to express our serious objections and concerns outlined below. As indicated, in addition to the submissions we have made separately regarding the severe negative impacts that this matter will have on fair competition, jobs and labor rights, we have deep and profound concerns that the business model being pursued by Norwegian Air International (NAI) raises significant security concerns. Among other things, we believe that critical policies and regulations adopted following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, by the U.S. and EU to ensure the safety of its citizens could be at risk.

The Air Line Pilots Association, the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, and the European Cockpit Association hereby submit the following comments in response to DOT’s August 4 Notice regarding the views voiced by the Director of Aviation of the European Commission’s Directorate of General Mobility and Transport (“DG MOVE”) on the applicability of Article 17 bis of the U.S.-EU Air Transport Agreement (“ATA” or “Agreement”) to NAI’s application. For the reasons set out below, the Labor Parties believe that DOT should reject DG MOVE’s interpretation of Article 17 bis and promptly deny NAI’s application for an exemption on the grounds that approval would be inconsistent with the public interest and with Article 17 bis.

On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I am pleased to comment on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to Prohibit the Coercion of Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers. By way of background, TTD consists of 32 affiliated unions that represent workers in all modes of transportation, including those who operate over-the-road buses and other commercial motor vehicles, and therefore have an interest in this rulemaking.

As the Senate considers the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 (H.R. 5021), I urge you to approve a final bill that ensures the Highway Trust Fund has sufficient revenue to avoid an immediate default and provides the 113th Congress an opportunity to consider a longer-term surface transportation bill. In addition, I urge you to reject a misguided amendment, expected to be offered, that would abdicate the federal responsibility to ensure a safe and modern multi-modal transportation network.

The Honorable Michael P. Huerta Administrator Federal Aviation Administration 800 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC  20591 RE:   Drug and Alcohol Testing of Certain Maintenance Provider Employees       Located Outside of the United States      Docket No. FAA-2012-1058; Notice No. 14-02      RIN 2120-AK09      Federal Aviation Administration Dear Administrator […]

While we are pleased that the House is moving to avoid an immediate default of the Highway Trust Fund, we are extremely disappointed that the bill being considered today (H.R. 5021) is crafted in a way that will make it more likely that Congress will not consider a longer-term surface transportation bill. We find this decision difficult to understand and one that represents an abdication of responsibility to meet our nation’s most basic transportation needs, sustain economic growth, and create and maintain jobs in this still fragile economy. By extending the Highway Trust Fund to next May, this “kick the can down the road” proposal will likely result in a series of short-term extensions that undermine the ability of states to invest in transportation projects, increase business uncertainty, and impede job creation.

As the Senate considers the FY 2015 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, I urge you to vote YES on the Klobuchar-Coats-Schatz-Blunt Amendment. This amendment will ensure that the U.S.-EU Open Skies Agreement is implemented in full accordance with U.S. law and the agreed-upon provisions in the agreement and is identical to a provision that passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week.

On behalf of the undersigned affiliated unions of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), we write to express our strong opposition to eliminating Saturday mail delivery service as a condition of fixing the impending shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund. This careless and ideologically driven attack on the employees at the United States Postal Service (USPS) should be a non-starter as it fails to offer a bipartisan plan to fund America’s immediate and longer-term surface transportation needs.

On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I urge you vote NO on an amendment offered by Representative Denham to the pending FY 15 T-HUD bill (H.R. 4745). This amendment would single-out one project in a single state – California high-speed rail – from receiving any funds appropriated in a bill that is supposed to fund our nation’s transportation needs.