US AIRWAYS PASSENGER SERVICE EMPLOYEES
LOCAL 3640
2008 Political/Legislative Conference Report
In attendance for Local 3640 were Craig Leake and Rich Dennis
of the Political/Legislative Committee.
The conference was April 6-9, 2008 in Washington D.C.
The four basic themes of CWA for 2008 are as follows:
1. Employee Free Choice Act (to see it passed in both houses of Congress and signed into law - it currently was passed overwhelmingly in the House but is stalled in the Senate)
2. Health Care (to ensure government involvement in improving our health care in the U.S. by making it more affordable and dramatically increasing the number of people who are covered and lowering the cost of medicine)
3. Jobs/Fair Trade (to stop unfair trade practices that hurt U.S. employers and workers, stop the mass exodus of jobs leaving the U.S. and being replaced in foreign countries, stop and re-negotiate trade pacts that do not protect foreign workers and the environment and lack any enforcement or remedy)
4. Retirement Security (Protection of pensions for workers)
The Employee Free Choice Act contains three components aimed at strengthening the rights of workers who want union representation. First, the legislation provides for certification of a union if the NLRB finds that a majority of workers have signed forms designating the union as their collective bargaining representative. This method of union certification is known as card check. Second, the bill mandates first contract mediation and arbitration. Third, the bill sets forth meaningful remedies against employers when workers are attempting to organize or are seeking a first contract.
The current health system is not working for workers, retirees, and the uninsured or for our employers. We need national legislation that will meet the following tests:
1. Cover all Americans
2. Control costs
3. Improve health quality
4. Strong government role
5. Broad-based tax financing
CWA supports fair trade principles which are vastly different than the principles and process used in negotiating trade agreements today.
CWA strongly encourages Congress and the next president to include the following principles when developing trade policy:
9. Include enforceable obligations to effectively enforce domestic labor laws and the core labor standards of the International Labor Organization.
10. Include enforceable obligations for countries to enforce their domestic environmental laws and any other environmental agreements.
Bankruptcy reform needed to protect retirement security: Protecting Employees and
Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act (S.2092/H.R. 3652) this legislation will protect
workers from losing out by:
1. Increasing the value of worker claims in bankruptcy.
2. Reducing the loss of wages and benefits.
3. Increase the parity of worker and executive claims.
The Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act:
HR 2744 and S 2059 would clarify the original law to bring it into line with the intent of
Congress by considering the uniqueness of the calculation of work hours in the airline
industry as it applies to flight crews for The Family and Medical Leave Act.
CWA supports SJ RES. 28 and HJ RES. 79, resolutions that would overturn the FCC's
opening of the doors to further media consolidation resulting in monopolies. CWA supports Congressional action to stimulate the creation of universal, affordable high-
speed broadband networks through the following policies:
1. Enact H.R. 3919, the Broadband Census of America Act/ S.1492, the Broadband
Data Improvement Act.
2. Establish a national high-speed internet for all policy with realistic goals.
3. Adopt a more realistic definition of high-speed broadband.
4. Require public reporting of actual speed and reliability.
5. Stimulate Investment.
6. Universal service reform.
7. Ensure affordable access.
8. Stimulate demand
9. Preserve an open internet and require cable a la carte.
10. Safeguard consumer and workers protections.
Teams of CWA members lobbied their members of Congress in both houses concerning
the above issues. Both Senators Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr and Representatives
Virginia Fox and Mel Watt allowed meetings with us to discuss our issues with their
appropriate aides. Other members of Congress from across the state of North Carolina
and every other state met with CWA members to discuss our current issues as well.
Guest speakers at the convention were as follows:
1. The Honorable Andre Carson (D-IN) U.S. House
2. The Honorable Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) U.S. House
3. The Honorable Joe Manchin, Governor of W.Virginia
4. The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) U.S. Senate
5. The Honorable Barack Obama (D-IL) U.S. Senate
6. The Honorable David Obey (D-WI) U.S. House
7. The Honorable Rob Andrews (D-NJ) U.S. House
8. The Honorable Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) U.S. Senate
Craig Leake
1. Reduce our unsustainable trade deficit by providing fair and transparent market access.
2. Target non-tariff trade barriers that unfairly block U.S. goods' access to foreign markets while safeguarding necessary environmental, labor, health and safety laws.
3. Create a predictable structure for international trade and preserve the ability of national governments to foster and secure economic, social and human development for all their citizens.
4. Enable federal and state governments to regulate in the public interest; to use procurement dollars to create and maintain good jobs; to promote economic opportunity and development and achieve other legitimate social goals; and to provide high-quality public services and regulate all essential services to provide consumer access, safety and quality.
5. Safeguard our system of federalism from international pre-emptive agreements of state and local non-trade policy.
6. Safeguard the livelihoods of family farmers in the U.S. and developing countries-helping them to prosper using sustainable environmental practices.
7. Promote farmer’s ability to earn fair market price for their products
8. Include labor and environmental provisions in trade agreement’s core text and include enforcement mechanisms that are the same as the commercial provisions in the agreement.
