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CWA Presses Congress for Relief for Airline Workers

The Communications Workers of America, representing 10,600 passenger service agents at US Airways, is pressing Congress to enact unemployment and health care relief for airline workers who are losing their jobs.

CWA President Morton Bahr and US Airways workers joined Sen. Edward Kennedy and other members of Congress fighting for relief for airline workers, along with AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and members and officers of other airline unions, at a news conference and "speak out" on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Oct. 3.

US Airways members from Dayton, Ohio; Pittsburgh; Philadelphia; Indianapolis; Syracuse, N.Y., and the Washington metropolitan area joined the news conference, then met with congressional representatives and staff to gain support for the worker relief plan.

CWA successfully pressed US Airways to abide by its contract and pay workers the furlough assistance and other benefits they are entitled to; some major carriers tried to invoke a "war emergency" clause to abrogate their responsibilities to workers.

"Airline workers have been completely left out of the $15 billion bailout given to the industry and Congress must right this wrong," Bahr said. "This damage to workers has been compounded by some carriers who sought to deny workers their rightful pay or furlough assistance."

"Now, there is an urgent need to help provide health insurance coverage, job search assistance and extended unemployment benefits for the 100,000 workers who may lose their jobs," Bahr stressed.

House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt and Reps. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), Melissa Hart (R-Pa.) and Peter Fitzgerald (R-Ill.) have introduced legislation to provide this needed relief for airline workers.

In the Senate, Sen. Jean Carnahan (D-Mo.) has introduced a companion measure that calls for additional weeks of jobless benefits, health care coverage and job training for airline workers, especially those who are part-time or temporary workers and not eligible for unemployment compensation under current law.

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