Thu, Jun 08, 2006
Bush Had Threatened Veto
By a vote of 271-148,
the US House of Representatives rejected an attempt late Wednesday
night to force yet another round of negotiations in the
long-running contract dispute between air traffic controllers and
the FAA.
The vote marked the end to NATCA's final stand in its
attempts to force the FAA to return to the bargaining table, after
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey declared an impasse in the
contentious talks earlier this year.
Wednesday's vote in the House -- which was preceded by a White
House threat to veto such a bill, had it passed -- means the FAA's
final contract offer to the National Air Traffic Controllers
Association stands. As Aero-News reported, the
FAA imposed that contract Monday, after the mandatory 60-day
deadline for Congress to act on the matter passed.
To be phased in over a period of months, the FAA
contract will cut new controllers' pay by about
30-percent.
On Tuesday, President Bush made clear his threat to strike any
legislation that would send the dispute between the FAA and its
unionized controllers to binding arbitration.
The move was unusual in a couple of respects. First, President
Bush rarely threatens a veto. Second, the subject of that threat is
legislation proposed by a Republican -- Ohio Congressman Steven
LaTourette.
In a statement issued by the White House earlier in the day, the
President said LaTourette's legislation would have put on hold
almost $2 billion in savings on controller salaries and benefits --
and would, therefore, threaten to increase the federal deficit.
NATCA has threatened as many as one-third of the nation's air
traffic controllers would chose to retire early, instead of
accepting less-favorable pay arrangements under the new
contract.
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