[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 17 (Tuesday, February 11, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S1240]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              SENATE RESOLUTION 53--RELATIVE TO A DISPUTE

  Mrs. HUTCHISON (for herself, Mr. Gramm, and Mr. D'Amato) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Labor 
and Human Resources:

                               S. Res. 53

       Whereas a strike by the Allied Pilots Association, the 
     union of the pilots of American Airlines, could lead to a 
     severe disruption in air service;
       Whereas such a strike could result in the loss of 
     employment by tens of thousands of individuals in the United 
     States;
       Whereas such a strike would affect approximately 20 percent 
     of the domestic airline traffic in the United States;
       Whereas such a strike would cause more than 75,000 American 
     Airlines employees to be idle;
       Whereas such a strike would affect--
       (1) the livelihood of thousands of other workers employed 
     in airline and airport supply industries; and
       (2) commerce relating to tourism, logistics, and business 
     requiring travel;
       Whereas such a strike would cause substantial adverse 
     economic effects in communities of the United States;
       Whereas such a strike could jeopardize the largest order 
     made in history for the production of civilian aircraft; and
       Whereas because \1/4\ of the air traffic of American 
     Airlines is in foreign air commerce (as that term is defined 
     in section 40102 of title 49, United States Code), a strike 
     would have an adverse effect with respect to--
       (1) the expansion of the market of United States goods and 
     services in foreign countries; and
       (2) the trading partners of the United States: Now, 
     therefore, be it
         Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) the President should work in conjunction with the 
     National Mediation Board to facilitate a resolution of the 
     labor dispute between the Allied Pilots Association and AMR, 
     the parent company of American Airlines; and
       (2) the President should--
       (A) encourage--
       (i) the settlement of the issues that are the subject of 
     the labor dispute through the use of the services of the 
     National Mediation Board established under section 4 of the 
     Railway Labor Act (45 U.S.C. 154) before midnight on February 
     15, 1997 (which is the date specified by the Allied Pilots 
     Association as the deadline for averting a strike); or
       (ii) the achievement, by the date specified in clause (i), 
     of an agreement by the parties to the dispute to arbitrate 
     the issues that are the subject of the labor dispute through 
     the National Mediation Board; and
       (B) if necessary, establish a board under section 10 of the 
     Railway Labor Act (45 U.S.C. 160) to serve as an emergency 
     board to investigate the matter relating to the labor dispute 
     and to make a report to the President in the manner 
     prescribed in that section.

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