[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 114 (Wednesday, September 2, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9884-S9885]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 270--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE CONCERNING 
 ACTION THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES SHOULD TAKE TO RESOLVE 
   THE DISPUTE BETWEEN THE AIRLINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION AND NORTHWEST 
                                AIRLINES

  Mr. FRIST (for himself, Mr. Lott, and Mr. Thompson) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Labor and 
Human Resources:

                              S. Res. 270

       Whereas a strike by the Air Line Pilots Association, the 
     union of the pilots of Northwest Airlines, has led 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 affects approximately 11 percent of 
     the domestic airline traffic in the United States;
       Whereas such a strike would cause more than 44,000 
     Northwest Airlines employees to be idle;
       Whereas such a strike could 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 could cause substantial adverse 
     economic effects in communities of the United States; and
       Whereas because nearly 20 percent of the air traffic of 
     Northwest Airlines is in foreign air commerce (as that term 
     is defined in section 40102 of title 49, United States Code), 
     a strike could 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

[[Page S9885]]

       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 Air Line Pilots Association and 
     Northwest Airlines; and
       (2) the President should--
       (A) immediately after the enactment of this resolution, 
     encourage 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) or 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.

 Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I rise today to ask the Senate to go 
on record and ask the President to use all of the powers available to 
him to end the Northwest Airlines strike.
  As many of my colleagues are already aware, Northwest Airlines Pilots 
have been on strike since the 29th of August. At this time there are no 
talks between pilots and management. Additionally, the management of 
Northwest Airlines insists that they have made their ``final'' offer.
  Northwest Airlines loses a minimum of $27 million a day in lost 
revenue. Additional costs are incurred from placing booked passengers 
on other airlines. The first ten days of the strike are expected to 
cost the U.S. economy over $700 million. Further, Northwest is 
temporarily laying off as many as 30,000 workers by the end of this 
week.
  Northwest and Northwest Airlink have 552 departures in Tennessee. 
This is nearly half of Tennessee's air service. Every major city in 
Tennessee is affected by the Northwest Airlines strike: Jackson, 
Tennessee has lost 100 percent of its service, Memphis has lost 77 
percent, and Knoxville 11 percent. The strike left over 9,000 
passengers stranded in Tennessee. Approximately 46 percent of stranded 
travelers will be unable to find travel on other airlines.
  The numbers of people stranded and the money lost are so large that 
they have become mere abstractions. Behind the numbers and figures 
exist struggling small businesses, air travelers experiencing 
ridiculous inconveniences, and real economic loss. All of these people 
are innocent bystanders held hostage by a dispute that they have 
nothing to do with.
  For all of the reasons I have outlined, I am submitting a resolution 
today that asks the President of the United States to act immediately 
to bring this strike to a quick conclusion. If necessary, the President 
should not hesitate to create a Presidential Emergency Board to resolve 
the dispute between the Air Line Pilots Association and Northwest 
Airlines. Too many people have already suffered as a result of this 
strike. It is certainly time to advance the common interests of the 
pilots, passengers, management and bystanders, and end this 
strike.

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