Update on Our Fight for 10
April 12, 2019 — In the midst of persistent attacks on working people and our unions from the White House, Congress, Statehouses, and in the courts, AFA-CWA members were widely recognized for our success as the only aviation stakeholder to achieve our priorities in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. It took tremendous effort to achieve commonsense rest improvements, fatigue mitigation, no knives or voice calls on planes, cabin air quality study, evacuation standards with new cabin environment and staffing issues, and so much more.
Before the vote on the bill, the Administration opposed our 10 hours rest and the Administration has resisted officially updating the rule. We are learning that Delta Air Lines is the primary voice in opposition to implementation of our new rest minimum, arguing every means to delay implementation. There’s no reason our airlines need to wait to follow the law, but they are united in their message of waiting for instruction from the FAA.
The Government Shutdown halted all work on implementation of the FAA bill, and any ability to hold the DOT or FAA accountable. It is not only our issues that haven't been implemented. None of the hundreds of safety issues detailed in the bill have been fully implemented. With the shutdown over, the FAA is assessing resources, attempting to catch up on lost time of safety oversight, and dealing with fallout from the 737 MAX. Our allies in Congress are attempting to cut a path of accountability.
