FAA Employee Unions Ask Congress to Pass FAA Extension Now

Calls on Congress to Return to Capitol Hill to Act Now

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the unions representing the approximately 4,000 furloughed FAA employees expressed disappointment that Congress was unable to pass an extension of FAA funding prior to recessing. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), and Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) released the following statement regarding the continued furloughs and partial shutdown of the FAA:

"We are extremely frustrated and discouraged that members of Congress have left Washington for recess without passing an FAA extension. If the FAA continues on partial shutdown for the month of August, it will lose $1.5 billion in revenue. Every day this impasse continues is another day that major airport projects are delayed and work is stopped on important Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) initiatives. Included among projects and programs impacted are long-term runway safety initiatives, NextGen air traffic control research and testing, modernization of control towers and other aviation infrastructure, and weather research.

"Of utmost concern, this shutdown is putting thousands of critical employees out of work. Nearly 4,000 FAA employees have been forced to go without a paycheck for almost two weeks. These employees provide essential services and perform a variety of functions critical to the safe and efficient operation of the aviation system. In addition, due to the FAA having to issue dozens of stop-work orders, 70,000 construction workers nationwide are without employment. These employees and their families have been suffering for weeks now. This suffering cannot continue another day, let alone another month.

"AFGE, AFSCME, NATCA and PASS ask members of Congress to pass an FAA extension immediately. The air traffic control system cannot wait and neither can the families of the thousands of impacted employees across the nation. To protect this country's aviation system and secure jobs throughout the country, Congress must act now."

American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) and Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS), represent more than 30,000 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees.

SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees