UCAP Blog

The FAA has, as of this writing, less than three days left in its latest funding and authorizing extension — Number TWENTY for those counting — and its time for Congress to belly up to the bar and act grown up for a day. Pass a damned reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration. Quit using the legislation it for a campaign fundraising tool and act like an adult.

We’re again watching the FAA backed into a fiscal corner because of unrelated political power-playing. This time it’s some pique-prone adolescents in the U.S. House having a hissyfit over majority rule prevailing in union elections by railroad and airline workers.  They added a provision to overturn a National Mediation Board rule approved last year that affirmed union approval by a simple majority of those voting — as are decided city, county, state and national elections. The prior rules counted no vote by a worker as a no vote on the union, basically claiming an ability to read workers’ minds.

If these who oppose such simple majority-voting rules feel so strongly about the idea of a none vote counting as “No,” they should help pass an amendment to the Constitution setting the same rules for politicians. But that won’t happen because too many of them will look at their last victory and realize they would have won under the rules they want employes to live with.

Now, show us you can do your jobs and put the country and the FAA ahead of your reelection efforts. Aviation overall will be on a more-solid footing — and you’re already years and years late and we’re running out of time.