[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 19 (Monday, February 6, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E147]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 658, FAA REAUTHORIZATION AND REFORM ACT OF 
                                  2012

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, February 3, 2012

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that H.R. 658, the FAA Air 
Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act, will fully 
fund the FAA through FY2015, particularly because it will include the 
NextGen Air Traffic Control Modernization Program. That program is 
important to my constituents who travel through O'Hare Airport. The 
program will ensure that air traffic congestion is lessened, noise and 
pollution mitigation efforts are continued, and air traffic control is 
improved according to best practices.
  However, it is unconscionable that anti-labor provisions regarding 
the National Mediation Board were allowed to find their way into this 
bill. Organized labor has protected the rights and livelihood of 
American workers for decades. H.R. 658 changes the rules for holding 
elections, making it harder even to give workers the opportunity to 
have union representation. The bill makes it easier to strip union 
rights in the case of mergers between airlines or railways. It also 
allows election results to be challenged in person by employers, 
opening up union elections to voter intimidation. Those and other 
provisions will only undermine the ability of American laborers to be 
represented in their places of employment. They do not belong in the 
bill, and they will hurt rather than help workers and our national 
transportation system as a whole.
  I agree that the FAA, and the NextGen program should be fully funded. 
I voted against H.R. 658 because it injected anti-labor provisions into 
a reauthorization that should have been devoid of partisan political 
stunts.

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