United MEC Government Affairs Committee Update

Date: December 18, 2013
Type: Report

FCC TO CONSIDER NEW RULES FOR ONBOARD WIRELESS SERVICES 

In December 2004, the FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to consider whether new technological developments warranted changes to the rule prohibiting airborne usage of cellular handsets.   The ban was continued partly because of some unresolved questions about the potential for interference with aircraft navigation equipment and partly due to the outrage generated through AFA-CWA's public and legislative campaigns. 

Special equipment (called an "airborne access system") that can be installed directly on an airplane is now available to prevent harmful interference.  This has led the FCC to consider whether these advances in technology no longer warrant the prohibition of inflight mobile phone use.     

Last month, after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced their plans to consider revising its current ban on inflight cell phone calls, the Government Affairs Committee began reaching out to Congressional offices to let them know that AFA-CWA opposes relaxing the rules that prohibit mobile voice calls inflight.      

FCC HEARING

In a move that neither Flight Attendants, passengers or members of Congress support,  the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted 3-2 to review its 22 year ban on inflight cell phone calls and initiated a proceeding that would give airlines the ability to allow passengers to use their mobile wireless devices while flying above 10,000 feet.  The FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and will now seek public input on this proposal.   If adopted after a period of public review and comment, the proposed rules would permit airlines to install special equipment on aircraft that would enable inflight wireless broadband access to passengers. 

Ultimately, if the FCC adopts these new rules, it will be each airline's decision whether to permit the use of data, text and/or voice services while airborne.  The proposal provides the means for the airlines to decide whether to provide the capability to access mobile wireless services and whether to limit such service to data and not voice calls.  The choice about whether to deploy such services would be made by individual airlines consistent with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules. 

CONGRESSIONAL LETTER TO FCC

As a result of our initial outreach, Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Michael Grimm (R-NY) circulated a sign-on letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler asking that cell phone calls not be allowed inflight.  The letter was sent to Chairman Wheeler with sixty bipartisan signatures

We should all be proud of the work we did in contacting these Congressional offices considering the short turnaround time we had.   Our work is now cut out for us as we will need to turn these "signatures" into "cosponsors" for the legislation that has been introduced to prohibit inflight cellular voice communications. 

LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS TO BAN INFLIGHT CELL PHONE CALLS

  • In the U.S. House of Representatives:

On December 9, 2013, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) and senior committee member Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR) introduced the Prohibiting In-Flight Voice Communications on Mobile Wireless Devices Act of 2013, H.R. 3676 in the wake of the FCC's announced plans to review the current ban on inflight cell phone calls. 

H.R. 3676 directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to issue regulations prohibiting an individual on an aircraft from engaging in voice communications using a mobile device inflight.  The legislation does exempt on-duty flight crews, Flight Attendants and federal law enforcement officers acting in an official capacity. 

The "Prohibiting In-Flight Voice Communications on Mobile Wireless Devices Act of 2013 currently has 22  bipartisan cosponsors including lead sponsor Bill Shuster (R-PA), Larry Buschon (R-IN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Jim Cooper (D-TN), Rodney Davis (R-IL), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), John Duncan (R-TN), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Sam Farr (D-CA), Kay Granger (R-TX), Michael Grimm (R-NY), David Joyce (R-OH), Kenny Marchant (R-TX), David McKinley (R-WV), Patrick Meehan (R-PA), Michael Michaud (D-ME), Candice Miller (R-MI), Richard Neal (D-MA), Thomas Petri (R-WI), Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), and  Roger Williams (R-TX). 

ACTION ALERT 

If your U.S. Representative is not a cosponsor, please take the time to call their office and ask to speak to the legislative assistant who handles aviation issues.   Your message should be:

"As a constituent and a member of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, I am concerned about cell phone use inflight.  The aircraft cabin is no place for cell phone conversations, and the use of cell phones for voice calls poses a risk to safety and security.  As the last line of defense in our nation's aviation system, Flight Attendants understand the importance of maintaining a calm cabin environment and passengers agree. 

I urge my Representative to cosponsor the bipartisan Prohibiting In-Flight Communications on Mobile Wireless Devices Act of 2013, House bill number H.R. 3676 to help keep peace in the aircraft cabin."   

We will update the cosponsor list monthly, so please check back to see if your U.S. Representative has signed on to the legislation as a cosponsor.  

  • In the U.S. Senate:

On December 12, 2013, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), along with original cosponsors Mark Begich (D-AK), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced legislation to prohibit cell phone conversations on commercial airline flights.  The Commercial Flight Courtesy Act, S. 1811, would prohibit voice communications through mobile communication devices on regularly scheduled commercial passenger flights. 

In a statement Senator Alexander said "This legislation is about avoiding something nobody wants: nearly 2 million passengers a day, hurling through space, trapped in 17 inch-wide seats, yapping their innermost thoughts.  The solution is simple text messages, yes; conversations, no." 

ACTION ALERT

After you call your U.S. Representative, please place a call to each of your two Senators and ask to speak to the legislative assistant who handles aviation issues.  Your message should be: 

"As a constituent and a member of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, I am concerned about cell phone use inflight.  The aircraft cabin is no place for cell phone conversations, and the use of cell phones for voice calls poses a risk to safety and security.  As the last line of defense in our nation's aviation system, Flight Attendants understand the importance of maintaining a calm cabin environment and passengers agree. 

I urge Senator __________ to cosponsor the bipartisan Commercial Flight Courtesy Act, Senate bill number S. 1811 to help keep peace in the aircraft cabin." 

Both your Representatives and your two senators can be reached through the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121. 

We will update the Senate cosponsor list regularly, so please check back to see if your Senators have signed on as cosponsors. 

DOT WEIGHS IN

The Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx announced that the DOT will consider stepping in to prohibit inflight calls.  The Department will examine if using cellular service for voice calls inflight serves consumers.

Secretary Foxx believes that DOT's role, as part of their Aviation Consumer Protection Authority, is to determine if allowing cell phone calls inflight is fair to consumers.  Before making a final determination, the DOT will give stakeholders and the public significant opportunity to comment. 

NO KNIVES CAMPAIGN

We continue our lobby efforts to build cosponsors on the Senate Keep Knives Out of Our Skies Act, S. 1008 and the House No Knives Act, H.R. 1093.  Go to www.congress.gov for a list of cosponsors. 

UNION MADE-IN-AMERICA HOLIDAY GIFTS

Finding union-made and American-made gifts does not have to be a challenge.  The AFL-CIO has compiled a useful guide to help you find the best union-made gifts for everyone on your gift list this season.   From Monopoly to Scrabble, to stocking stuffers like Top-Flight golf balls to Tootsie Roll Pops, it's easy to support quality union jobs and find the perfect gift for everyone on your list!   Check the AFL-CIO website.  America works best when we say and shop Union Yes!

Return to Government Affairs Reports home page

top of page