AFGE Applauds Senate Approval of FAA Reauthorization Bill

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) applauds the Senate's approval of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Bill. The bipartisan bill funds the agency for five years and rejects proposals to privatize the agency's Air Traffic Control function. It also includes $1.7 billion in funding for disaster relief following Hurricane Florence.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the union representing TSA officers and some FAA employees, applauds the measure.

"FAA workers and TSA officers provide vital services to the American public by ensuring airline passengers get to and from their destinations safely," said AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. "We are happy the hardworking public servants who work at the FAA no longer face the threat of having their jobs contracted out."

The legislation also reauthorizes the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for three years and creates, for the first time, an AFGE and TSA management committee to address the TSA personnel system? including appeal rights to the Merit Systems Protection Board and grievance procedures.

"The turnover rate at some TSA airports is over 30 percent? far higher than the overall attrition rate of the federal government," said Cox. "Meanwhile employee morale at TSA continues to sink."

AFGE looks forward to working with TSA management on the newly created committee to determine ways to address employee concerns. 

The bill will now go to the White House for the president's signature.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 700,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.

For the latest AFGE news and information, visit the AFGE Media Center. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees