2008 COPE Agenda

Welcome to TWU’s 2008 COPE-Legislative Conference. We have arranged an informative and interesting agenda that will hopefully provide participants with the tools to carry out effective political action here in Washington D.C. and back home.

We also trust that it will spur us to re-double out efforts on COPE and political action.

With the crucial 2008 election cycle upon us, it is incumbent upon us to do whatever t takes to keep out members informed and focused on the issues that really matter.

We have a golden opportunity to return the White House into the hands of a worker friendly Administration. But it won’t happen without an active and informed membership.

This booklet identifies our issues in full detail. It also outlines the desired course of Congressional action on each one. Our guest speakers and various presenters will further clarify these issues.

Let’s make the most of our time here in Washington, D.C. And let’s use this Conference as a springboard to keep labor’s agenda on the front burner in Congress, and in the forefront of the crucial 2008 election campaign.

James C. Little
International President

Harry Lombardo
Executive Vice President

Joseph C. Gordon
Secretary Treasurer

Michael Bakalo
Administrative Vice President

Hubert Snead
Administrative Vice President

CONTENTS

FIGHTING TO PROTECT OUR JOBS

• FAA Reauthorization
• Foreign Maintenance
• Open Skies
• OSHA Coverage for Flight Attendants
• Criminal Background Checks
• Energy Independence and Mass Transit
• Preserving Amtrak
• Transit Labor Protections

TRANSPORTATION SECURITY

• Amtrak Worker Certification
• Flight Attendant Security Training
• Airport Security
• Leave All Blades Behind Act

OTHER WORKPLACE ISSUES

• Employee Free Choice Act
• Service Contract Act
• Equal Treatment for CDLs

TRADE, OUTSOURCING AND JOBS

• General Tariff Increase
• Immigration: Guest Workers

HEALTHCARE

• Universal Health Care
• Medicare/Prescription Drugs
  
• FMLA for Flight Attendants
• World Trade Center Health Programs

REVENUES, TAXES

• Wealth and Work
• Keep the Estate Tax

Fighting To Protect Our Jobs

REATHORIZING THE FAA

The reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration is an opportunity for Congress to correct years of neglect, erosion of passenger and aviation worker rights and increasingly unsafe conditions. The House-passed bill makes giant steps in these directions.

FOREIGN AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE

For years U.S. airline passengers have been placed at risk by FAA Certification policies that allow lower standards and less scrutiny for overseas aircraft maintenance bases. This includes:

• No drug or alcohol testing requirements overseas even though the FAA has extended the requirement to everyone who works on aircraft in the
  U.S.
• Giving 3-4 months notice of inspections overseas as opposed to unannounced inspections in the
  U.S.
• No requirement for criminal background checks overseas despite the Inspector General having found at least one suspected aI Qaeda operative working on U.S. aircraft overseas. The FAA and TSA have stonewalled a 3-year-old requirement to issue a rule and conduct security audits of foreign bases.
• Almost no inspections of foreign repair stations by FAA inspectors except for recertification every 2-5 years as opposed to hundreds of inspections of air carriers performing in-house U.S. repairs. There are 698 FAA-certified foreign repair stations, an increase of more than 345 percent since the rules governing foreign certification were eased in 1998. Yet there has been no increase in the number of FAA inspectors.

House-Passed Bill

In September 2007 the House of Representatives passed an FAA Reauthorization that corrected the abuses of many years. It passed an amendment by voice vote to require drug and alcohol testing for employees of foreign aircraft repair stations who work on U.S. aircraft.

In addition it requires that foreign stations be inspected by FAA inspectors at least twice a year and ensures that critical maintenance work be done either at in-house facilities or at certified repair stations with proper oversight. And it increases staffing levels among FAA safety inspectors

THE “OPEN SKIES” AGREEMENT – FOREIGN OWNERSHIP THROUGH THE BACK DOOR

Last year Congress overwhelmingly rejected an Administration attempt to overturn the law prohibiting foreigners from exercising “actual control” of a U.S. airline. Now, in the recently-negotiated “Open Skies” agreement, the Administration is once again apparently committed to allowing greater foreign ownership of U.S. airlines. Worst is a franchising provision that would allow foreign investors to control the operational decisions of our airlines.

If this succeeds, tens of thousands of good, union airline jobs would fall under the control of foreign corporations who could replace them with low-wage foreign workers. From a national security perspective, it would also pave the way for countries like China and Saudi Arabia to gain control of large portions of the U.S. airline industry adding the dangerous potential for both economic and terrorist threats.

House-Passed Bill

The version of the FAA Reauthorization that passed the House contains language affirming existing law that U.S. air carriers must remain under the ownership and control of U.S. citizens. This provision will be increasingly important as the U.S. and the European Union enter into second-stage talks for their “Open Skies’ aviation pact.

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH (OSHA) FOR FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

Airline compliance with OSHA rules covering flight attendants is currently voluntary (air carriers can volunteer to be subject to some safety and health protections). Without mandated provisions from the government requiring air carriers to protect flight attendants, the program clearly puts a band aid on health and safety concerns that will not disappear. Other airline workforce groups are protected by OSHA standards and rules. OSHA standards and regulations must also extend to protect the safety and health concerns of flight attendants. Penalties should be enforced for those air carriers that do not comply with OSHA. The present system of allowing air carriers to volunteer to protect the safety and health protections of the flight attendant workforce is not acceptable and merely suggests that a flight attendant is not on equal standing with other U.S. workers. It is not acceptable that the government would allow airlines to arbitrarily decide whether they will comply with health and safety rules for flight attendants.

TWU Position

The TWU calls on the Senate to pass the FAA Reauthorization bill as a first step in conferencing a bill that will meet the needs of aviation passengers and workers. We further call on the Senate to include many of the improvements in the House-passed bill, including its tougher standards for foreign aircraft repair stations, language limiting foreign control of U.S. airlines, application of OSHA to flight attendants, changes in the contract negotiating process for air traffic controllers, and giving FedEx workers the right to join a union under the National Labor Relations Board.

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS

Following the 9/11 attacks, Congress passed a number of hastily drawn measures to protect Americans traveling by air, rail and bus. While the TWU supports the intent of these measures, many of them have created unintended havoc and the loss of jobs for some of America’s transportation workers without a proper hearing and review system in place.

Problems differ (with those in the airline industry most acute) but all share similar problems:

• Jobs have been lost for “security reasons” without any standard for what constitutes a problem (a Transportation Safety Administration final rule requires the FAA to pull an airline worker’s certification at the order of the TSA).
• Jobs have been lost for technical violations of a rule without anyone in the Executive Branch being allowed to exercise judgment (Criminal Background Checks).
• Jobs have been lost without employees being given a right of appeal or being able to explain extenuating circumstances (background checks and TSA rule).
• Jobs have been lost because the definition of crimes and standards of impugnability differ from state to state, yet all transportation workers are under federal surveillance (in some states the governor has to pardon the offense; in some states the court system may review the offense; some states have no standard in place).
• Rules and standards differ from region to region and port to port; in addition, forms and requirements are constantly changing as the new Department of Homeland Security struggles to get up to speed.
• Jobs are in jeopardy because employers have all kinds of personal information on employees, including prior court appearances not connected with any of the “security” offenses, despite clear language in the law.

TWU Position

Rewrite these procedures to provide for clear standards, rights of appeal, intelligent flexibility in their application, and protection of employee privacy.

GLOBAL WARMING, ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND MASS TRANSPORTATION

Reducing energy consumption which contributes to global warming and reducing reliance on foreign oil which aids terrorism are two major goals of the American people and Congress. One of the best ways to achieve both aims is to promote and encourage mass transportation like public transit and rail travel. Mass transportation reduces energy consumption and pollution by taking millions of cars off the road.

In addition the newly passed law that increased CAFÉ gas mileage standards increased the cost and difficulty of transportation for ordinary Americans. While we supported these changes, they lacked companion measures to ease their consequences. Congress should fund and expand mass transportation as it will make energy conservation more convenient and more accessible while also making it affordable for more Americans to travel.

TWU Position

The TWU believes increased support for expanding mass transportation should be included in all energy measures.

PRESERVATION OF AMTRAK JOBS AMID PUSH FOR REFORMS

Year after year, TWU Amtrak workers fight to keep the railroad running and lobby for funding increases to sufficiently support Amtrak.

For years, the Bush Administration has sought to destroy what we know to be the national rail system. The Bush plan has been to privatize rail service in those parts of the country that can afford it while starving and dismantling Amtrak in the rest of the country.

A Board of his appointees has proposed plans which threaten to throw funding responsibility back to the states, eliminate services necessary for people to travel long-distance via rail and eliminate many long-distance routes entirely.

One especially egregious cut is the threat by Amtrak’s Board to outsource the On-Board Service workers. These workers do not deal solely with food and beverages but, like Flight Attendants, have major safety responsibilities. They are a front line defense trained in emergency preparedness, prevention measures concerning chemical, biological and radiological terrorism, as well as evacuation procedures for passengers. They are the first responders of the rails. To remove them in favor of untrained, minimum wage workers is irresponsible, and could verge on criminal in the event of a crisis or terrorist attack.

It is important that Amtrak workers, as stakeholders and experts in such things as intercity train operations, performance improvements, ridership, on-board services, facilities, equipment, and on time performance be involved in discussions of Amtrak reform.

TWU Position

TWU supports helping to develop a plan for Amtrak that gives it proper long-term operating and capital funding. TWU opposes phony ‘reforms’ that seek to keep Amtrak from being a functional, dependable rail system. Rail Labor should be consulted regarding any proposed reforms before they are implemented since labor can provide critical insight. Furthermore, any attempt to replace Amtrak’s On-Board Service workers with food service contractors is irresponsible and could result in tragic consequences for Amtrak passengers.

13(c) TRANSIT LABOR PROTECTIONS

When Richard Nixon provided the means to buy out the failing private transit systems in the early 1970’s, Congress mandated that local agencies could not use their new public status to renege on existing labor relationships. Section 13(c) requires that federal transit subsidies may not be used to do away with existing unions under penalty of losing all highway and transit dollars. This clause has protected all transit locals, but especially in states where it is otherwise illegal to bargain collectively with public employers (i.e. Texas, North Carolina and Georgia).

TWU Position

The TWU is unalterably opposed to any reduction in 13(c) labor protections. This is the transit equivalent of Davis-Bacon or the Service Contract Act, and any attempt to undermine it will be seen as hostile. We applaud Congress for retaining full 13(c) labor protections in the Highway-Transit Bill and call on them to maintain their vigilance.

Transportation Safety and Security

ON BOARD SERVICE WORKER AND CARMEN SAFETY CERTIFICATION

The job of On-Board Service workers goes beyond serving food and beverages. They are much like flight attendants and just like flight attendants, have safety responsibilities. The responsibilities that are expected of these workers make them the front line of defense on board trains to handle emergencies of many proportions.

For years on board service workers have acted as the front line defense trained in emergency preparedness, prevention measures concerning chemical, biological and radiological terrorism, as well as evacuation procedures for passengers. They are the first responders of the rails.

Every rail rider depends on the workmanship of Carmen. Safety is the number one aspect in their job. Trusting that procedures and proper criteria is followed when repairing and updating the rail cars is essential for safety.

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s bill which passed in the House, (H.R. 2095, the Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007) certifies Conductors and Carmen in safety buts fails to certify Onboard Service Workers, the other front line of defense. The Senate companion bill (S. 1889) which has yet to be voted on in the Senate fails to certify both Carmen and Onboard Service Workers. Both bills establish the Railroad Safety Administration and protect workers from fatigue. However, the bills fail to follow through with certifying workers who have significant safety responsibilities.

TWU Position

The TWU supports the provision in the House Rail Safety bill, HR. 2095 that certifies Carmen. We call on both the House and the Senate to add a certification requirement for Onboard Service Workers who have safety and security responsibilities similar to certified flight attendants. And, we call on the Senate to establish provisions for certifying Carmen.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT SECURITY TRAINING

Flight Attendants are truly the first responders in the air. They are most directly in contact with potential terrorist situations, and should be equipped with the knowledge and wherewithal to protect their passengers, other crew and the aircraft.

The TSA is on record stating to the Washington Post it’s displeasure with the amount of participation of flight attendants in the program. Without a mandatory, flight attendant friendly program, the program is set up to fail. The courses, which are offered at 10 sites around the country, have not been heavily promoted by the government or airlines. They are held at community colleges, some far from airports and hard for flight crews to reach. Also, air carriers do not give crew members time off to attend the training, which means employees have to do it on their free time.

The present Crew Member Self Defense Training (CMSDT) program that the TSA conducts is a volunteer program that meets the training objective. However, since it is a voluntary program it does not meet the subjective purpose of preparing flight attendants to protect themselves, other crew members and passengers. The one-day, eight hour, hands on training course is only offered in certain cities which forces any flight attendant who desires to be prepared for a potential terrorist situation to find several days off, perhaps find housing and transportation to and from the training with the hopes of financially being able to sustain themselves during training. This is in order to participate in what should be required of all flight attendants and given as training at their bases. Obviously, this places an unfair burden on the flight attendant but mostly diminishes the importance of providing a safe aircraft for passengers.

It is imperative that a three-pronged approach to airline security be completed. The first two prongs - pilots carrying guns, and federal air marshals on board flights - have been established and in place for some time. However, since every flight does not have an air marshal or armed pilot, it is essential to implement the third prong as a mandatory, not voluntary, program - crew member self defense training.

TWU Position

The government must mandate security training for flight attendants and prepare all active flight attendants to protect their passengers, other crew and the aircraft from any terrorist or disgruntled passenger event.

AIRPORT SECURITY: SCREENING OF AIRLINE WORKERS

Since the attacks of 9/11 elected officials have been playing “gotcha” with airport security, trying to one-up the other party on who is the toughest on homeland security. In the process they have substituted photo ops and simplistic headlines for genuine security measures.

Most recently, seizing on a few incidents of illegal smuggling activity, some members of Congress are trying to screen all airline and airport workers like they do the general public. HR 1413 is a pilot program for this effort. Among other things it would require airline and airport workers to go through a screening process every time they enter or leave a secure or sterile area.

This plan is an unnecessary and expensive duplication of other security measures including multiple criminal background checks already undergone by these workers. It ignores the simple fact that any pilot or mechanic already has the ability to sabotage a plane, should they want to do so, simply by misusing their craft. It would create chaos on the ground, massive delays for passengers and waste hundreds of millions of dollars that could be used against real threats.

While we are open to additional measures to screen airline workers, we suggest Congress instead hasten efforts to produce a Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC) which will help to close the security gap at airports around the country. And, we also think it is imperative that all airline carriers, including air cargo carriers go through the same scrutiny of security to protect our nation from unwanted terrorist attacks.

TWU Position

TWU supports evaluating the loopholes of airport security and making necessary adjustments to protect air travel. However, we oppose HR 1413 which will create unnecessary chaos for passengers and workers alike through unduly burdensome, expensive and misdirected activities.

AIRPORT SECURITY: LEAVE ALL BLADS BEHIND ACT

On December 22, 2005 the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) relaxed the ban on potentially dangerous items allowed on board aircraft. As the first line of defense against any violent act onboard an aircraft it is imperative that items that can be used to harm occupants of air carriers not be allowed aboard. After the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, Congress created the TSA which appropriately banned certain items (some ordinary household items like the ones used in the attacks) from being brought onboard aircraft. TSA has relaxed the banned item list and now allows potentially dangerous items (four inch scissors and large screwdrivers) onboard aircraft.

TSA has stated that the philosophical change was made to concentrate on explosive devices. They further have reported that the screening process was long and time consuming. Allowing four inch scissors and large screwdrivers back onboard aircraft has not made the process any less time consuming. A better solution is to enforce the present baggage rules and size limitations while enforcing the ban on all scissors and screwdrivers.

The safety of aircraft occupants should never be compromised especially at the expense of comfort. TSA’s decision to focus more on screening for explosives is admirable yet such an effort should not lead to allowing potentially dangerous items back onboard aircraft.

TWU Position

We urge Congress to take a vital role in monitoring ISA and ensure the safety of the flying public and flight crews by reinstating the ban on potentially dangerous items onboard aircraft.

Other Workplace Issues

EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT: PROTECTING ALL WORKERS

According to a recent survey, more than 57 million Americans said they would join a union if they had the chance. But workers who try to exercise their right to join a union are routinely harassed, intimidated, and coerced by management. With union members bringing home substantially larger paychecks and better benefits than their non-union counterparts, especially women and minorities, this is the civil rights issue of our age.

The middle class in America is disappearing and so are good jobs, health care coverage and retirement security. Working people should have the freedom to choose whether to join together in unions to bargain for better wages and benefits. Presently, employers intimate, harass, coerce and even fire workers for trying to form and join unions.

The Employee Free Choice Act restores the rights of workers by (1) strengthening penalties against companies that coerce or intimidate employees, (2) establishing mediation and binding arbitration when the employer and workers cannot agree on a first contract and (3) enabling employees to form unions when a majority signs authorization cards.

TWU Position

TWU supports the Employee Free Choice Act which would restore workers’ freedom to form unions and bargain collectively. We call on Congress to pass it to allow workers to exercise their right to join a union without fear of losing their jobs.

PROTECT THE SERVICE CONTRACT ACT

The Service Contract Act (SCA) provides workers with wages and benefits that are found to be prevalent in the locality. Contractors and subcontractors with contracts in excess of $2500 are obligated to comply with the U.S. Department of Labor regulation. Loopholes within the regulation allow some contractors to wiggle out of present existing contracts with workers.

TWU Position

TWU supports reevaluating the Act to protect workers from being forced to accept substandard wages and allowing contractors to downsize their workforce just to replace SCA protected workers by non SCA workers.

EQUAL TREATMENT FOR COMMERCIAL DRIVERS LICENSES (CDL’s)

In most states, drivers who receive points on their drivers licenses are encouraged to work off those points more quickly by participating in special drivers training and other remedial programs. Federal law prohibits the same treatment of CDLs, required by many TWU members as a condition of employment. The State of California has passed a resolution calling on Congress to correct this injustice.

TWU Position

The TWU supports the passage of H.R. 3725 which would allow CDL holders to participate in a driving school in disposition of a traffic violation.

Trade Outsourcing And Jobs

A GENERAL TARIFF INCREAE TO PROTECT NATIONAL SECURITY AND AMERICAN JOBS

Everything has changed since NAFTA was passed 15 years ago. The ‘good’ jobs we were supposed to keep while the ‘crummy’ jobs went overseas are themselves being outsourced - almost everything that doesn’t require physical presence (retail, burger-flipping and hands - on health care).

America has switched from a creditor to a debtor nation with a steadily mounting balance of trade deficit that economists and investors agree is ‘unsustainable.’ China now holds $800 billion U.S. dollars (and growing) with the ability to damage the U.S. economy at will with obvious national security implications.

Contrary to popular opinion, it is not always a violation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to impose across-the-board tariffs. Article 12 of the WTO permits nations to impose tariffs to eliminate a persistent trade deficit (but not to get a trade surplus).

TWU Position

The TWU supports the demand of the U.S. Business & Industry Council and others for an across-the-board increase in general tariffs to eliminate the U.S. trade deficit within the framework of Article 12 of the WTO.

FORCED PRIVATIZATION OF TRANSIT AND OTHER PUBLIC SERVICES BY THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION

In the next step in world trade negotiations, foreign governments are proposing that we open up state, local and federal government services to bidding by private companies from anywhere in the world. On the table are mass transit, water and power services and airport security screening among others. A U.S. trade agreement to this effect would supersede the power of Congress or the Courts to prevent it. Not only would U.S. jobs be at risk, but our national security would be hostage to the lowest bidder from anywhere in the world.

TWU Position

The TWU supports legislation (like the defeated Sen. John Corzine (D-NJ) amendment to the Fast Track legislation) that would make it illegal for U.S. trade negotiators to negotiate away state, local or federal government control over the provision of essential services.

IMMIGRATION: GUEST WORKER PROGRAMS

We recognize the many difficulties in sealing our borders while dealing with the millions of undocumented immigrants who work hard, pay taxes and learn English. What is completely unacceptable, however, is for Congress to conspire with the corporations who want to exploit immigrants as cheap labor and use them to drive down the living standards of all Americans.

Last year’s defeated comprehensive immigration legislation allowed a) entry to hundreds of thousands of temporary guest workers without voice or vote; b) an unlimited number of low wage guest workers under the seasonal H(2)a visa program and over half a million low cost, hi-tech workers under the H(1)b visa program.

TWU Position

The TWU opposes any and all programs that permit U.S. corporations to bring in and exploit immigrant workers. We also support a tough enforcement program to catch and jail employers who hire illegal immigrants.

Healthcare

HEALTHCARE FOR EVERYONE

Large numbers of Americans have no health insurance and get their healthcare in the Emergency Room where we pay for it through higher premiums. Our own healthcare coverage is under attack as employers shift more of the costs onto workers. We end up paying for it through co-pays and deductibles or in collective bargaining where it caps our pay increases. Moreover, company-sponsored health benefits put American companies at a disadvantage when competing with companies based in countries where the government provides health care.

TWU Position

TWU supports legislation to create a healthcare system that provides truly universal coverage for all Americans without undermining or taking away the exceptional benefits many of us receive from our union-negotiated health plans.

PROTECT EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFITS

President Bush’s Tax Reform Panel has recommended eliminating tax deductibility for employee health benefits. The huge added expense would lead most American companies to terminate their health plans. This would please right-wing ideologues in the Administration and Congress who want to see everyone and everything subject to the marketplace. But it would devastate American workers and place additional stress on an already overburdened public health system.

TWU Position

The TWU opposes any and all moves to remove the tax exemption for employee health benefits.

MAKE MEDICARE/PRESCRIPTION DRUGS WORK FOR SENIORS

The Bush Medicare Drug Bill continues to be a bad plan.

1. It prohibits Medicare from negotiating the lowest possible prices from the drug companies, as the government currently does for the Veterans Administration and the military. The result is that drug prices continue to soar and most of the benefits from the bill will go to the drug companies instead of seniors.
2. Retirees with private plans like many TWU members lose big. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office finds that 25% of current retiree coverage will be eliminated as employers continue to drop coverage because the Bush plan encourages them to do so. Millions of poor people will be hurt because they lose Medicaid drug coverage and millions of seniors with moderate drug expenses will end up paying more in increased premiums.
3. It subsidizes HMO’s to compete with/undermine Medicare. The Bush plan not only requires you to join complex private drug plans with big (and increasing) holes in coverage—it also subsidizes HMO’s to compete with and undermine Medicare.
4. The plan is ideologically driven, and twisted out of shape in order to push people into the ‘free market,’ not to provide the simplest, cheapest benefits. As a result the plan is confusing, and does not meet the required needs of those needing specific medication. Seniors are being forced off needed medication because the drug plan that they are forced to choose does not cover their drug coverage needs.
5. The plan does not cover the needs of those who depend upon it. Special needs like transportation to and from dialysis and other specific needs were not maintained for retirees and seniors while the plan was in transition. Some of these needs are still not being met.

TWU Position

The TWU calls for replacing the current Bush program with a bill that would make it mandatory for the government to negotiate for the lowest Medicare drug prices and use this savings to fill part of the hole in coverage. We also support treating company payments for retiree drug benefits the same as any other individual drug purchases to do away with the incentive to close existing plans. We call for a guarantee that every elderly American can receive the drug benefits from the Medicare system without being forced out of Medicare into private plans and an end to giveaways to health insurance companies in the form of “Medicare Advantage.” Furthermore, we call for the loopholes that force the elderly off needed medication to be amended. And finally, we cal’ for the inadequacies that exist that harm those who depend upon the coverage be immediately corrected.

FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT ACCESSIBILITY FOR FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides flexibility to workers who encounter serious health conditions of their own, their spouse, child or parent. This federal workplace policy is available on an equal basis to all workers in America. However, the way eligibility of FMLA is calculated is unfair to flight attendants because of the work schedule and methods of calculating work hours of flight attendants. Presently, workers are eligible for FMLA if they have worked for at least 12 months and for 1,250 hours. But, flight crews (due to the nature of their job) do not work a traditional 40 hour work-week. Thus, a flight crew member may be unfairly denied FMLA coverage.

TWU Position

Federal guidelines for determining FMLA eligibility should be amended to provide equal access and coverage to flight crew members. TWU supports HR 2744 and S 2059 to amend the Family Medical leave Act of 1993 to clarify the eligibility requirements with respect to airline flight crews.

9/11 WORLD TRADE CENTER HEALTH PROGRAMS

In the aftermath of 9/11 many workers developed medical problems as a result of their exposure to dangerous toxins and carcinogens in the rescue and cleanup processes. Providing the funding for the medical monitoring and treatment programs to date has been difficult.

It is necessary that Congress provide ongoing medical monitoring, treatment and compensation to workers and others adversely affected by the September 11 attacks and collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC).

Legislation should at a minimum:

• Provide medical monitoring and medical treatment to affected individuals for their World Trade Center-related health conditions. The federal government should pay the costs of this monitoring and treatment.
• Build off the existing monitoring and treatment programs to ensure quality, competent care and the on-going collection and analysis of data.
• Provide a mechanism for compensation for economic loss for those individuals who are unable to work or have lost earnings potential as a result of a World Trade Center-related condition.
• Be established as a mandatory program, so that necessary funding is provided without having to appropriate funds on an annual basis.

TWU Position

A WTC program should be established statutorily to provide individual monitoring and treatment benefits for qualifying workers and individuals. TWU supports establishing and funding a WTC program that will provide medical care, medical monitoring and financial compensation for victims.

REVENUES/TAXES

Over the past six years tax cuts for the wealthy combined with cuts in government services from education to safety enforcement to emergency relief (FEMA) have created an inequality of wealth not seen in America since before the Great Depression. In order to fund essential government services we need to raise revenues without putting the burden on the middle class. Below are several ways to raise revenues without hurting hard working Americans.

TAX WEALTH AND WORK THE SAME

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett points out that he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary because of all the tax breaks accorded money made from investing. Among the income taxed at a lower rate than money made from work (salaries and wages) are stock market gains and stock dividends.

This reflects a contempt for work in modern America. Whatever they think of wealth, no one can argue that it should be valued higher than work.

TWU Position

President Bush’s capital gains and dividend tax cuts leave capital gains taxed at a lower rate (15%) than money earned from working (top rate: 39%). The TWU calls for the elimination of all special treatment for money made from wealth and for all income to be taxed as ordinary income.

MAKE THE CORPORATIONS PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE

The contribution of corporations to federal tax revenues has dropped from 37% in the 1950’s to under 8% today. If corporations returned to paying their fare share there would be enough revenues to allow the government to provide necessary services and still give middle class Americans a tax cut.

TWU Position

The TWU supports legislation that raises corporations’ share of the tax burden to one third.

KEEP THE ESTATE TAX

Special interests have mounted a massive campaign to repeal the Estate Tax on inherited wealth, a move that would benefit a handful of families to the tune of billions of dollars. They ignore the fact that a couple can already leave $4 million to their heirs without paying any tax.

They also hide the tact that the law currently wipes out all capital gains at the time of death (the so-called ‘step-up’). Thus repealing the Estate Tax would mean that not one dime in taxes would ever be paid on the billions of dollars in stock market gains for people like Bill Gates.

The same people trying to repeal the Estate Tax (calling it the ‘death tax’) are simultaneously proposing the cut the $255.00 death burial benefit under social security - paying for tax cuts for billionaires by taking away burial assistance from the poor. This is one small example of the pain that will result from the massive cuts in health, education and labor to pay for this tax

TWU Position

The TWU supports the current Estate Tax and calls on Congress to reject all attempts to repeal it.

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