United MEC Government Affairs Committee Update

Date: September 18, 2013
Type: Report

On Tuesday, September 10, AFA-CWA Members and Flight Attendants representing the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) joined forces on Capitol Hill to deliver a letter raising awareness of the incomplete funding for the Flight 93 National Memorial.  The letter, requesting that members of Congress make a voluntary contribution towards funding the memorial, was distributed to the offices of all 435 U.S. Representatives and 100 U.S. Senators.

We had a great turnout and would like to thank our MEC Officers Greg Davidowitch, Linda Farrow and Jeff Heisey;  Andrew Fahy and Sara Nelson, Council 27, Debbie Golombek and Michael Desrosiers, Council 5, Sharon Benjamin-Caldwell and Steve Murzi, Jr., Council 11 and Karen Hall, Kate Rittner, Grit Bastians and Leslie Strope, Council 21 for helping to deliver these letters.   

In addition to delivering these letters, we were able to say hello to some members of Congress and legislative staff that we have worked with in the past. And we were introduced to several legislative assistants that we intend to build new relationships with

KEEP OUR CABINS SAFE

Our lobby efforts to build cosponsors for the No Knives Act, H.R. 1093 and the Keep Knives Out of Our Skies Act, S. 1008 continue.  Council 11 Government Affairs Committee members Claudia Fletcher and Stan Kiino met with Senator Barbara Boxer's staff on August 30. 

EMPLOYMENT NON DISCRIMINATION

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, S. 815 and H.R. 1755 is long overdue legislation that would provide protections against workplace discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. The legislation extends the same federal employment discrimination protections that are currently provided on the basis of race, religion, gender, national origin, age and disability. 

Since 1993, AFA has been part of a broad coalition of labor, business, human and civil rights, religious and community organizations that have been working to build support and cosponsors for ENDA.   We will continue to work for passage of these long overdue workplace protections. 

On Thursday, October 3, the Americans for Workplace Opportunity campaign will be sponsoring ENDA Lobby and national Call-In Day.  The campaign is urging the swift passage of ENDA. 

MIDDLE CLASS SQUEEZE

The federal government is facing two critical deadlines where a failure to act could be extraordinarily damaging to the US economy and working families.  Congress needs to pass a spending bill to fund the federal government by September 30.  The next deadline facing Congress in mid-to-late October deals with raising the debt limit. 

As these deadlines approach, we are urging Congress to work towards a bipartisan compromise to find a balanced approach to address our nation's deficits.  Unfortunately, some conservative leaders in Congress are using these approaching deadlines to threaten a government shutdown. There are Republicans in Congress so adamant about defunding Obamacare that they are willing to sabotage our economy to do it.  Other conservative leaders in Congress are set to use deficits as an excuse to make cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.  

We will be calling on members of Congress to act responsibly and focus instead on the economic challenges facing the middle class.  It is time to find long term solutions to replace the sequester and to avoid economic uncertainty for working families.  

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