The camels nose is under the tent
#1
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Nov 2009
Posts: 5,193
The camels nose is under the tent
No pun intended, haven't seen this discussed lately.
Call/write your reps, I already have. Excerpt below, but the CBP facility in the Mid East is about to go through.
Call/write your reps, I already have. Excerpt below, but the CBP facility in the Mid East is about to go through.
When Congress this week introduced a bill with language that would fully fund a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) preclearance facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport, our elected representatives’ decision to take the side of a state-owned foreign airline over U.S. airlines and their workers came as a disappointment but not a complete surprise.
The bill, which is expected to be taken up by Congress in the coming days, illustrates legislating at its worst—an egregious example of federal lawmakers’ giving priority to influential foreign businesses rather than to an industry that fuels our nation’s economy, supports our national security, and provides tens of thousands of U.S. jobs.
With the language in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014, Congress will fund a CBP preclearance facility to be operated at a location where no U.S. air carrier flies and where only a state-owned foreign airline will benefit from the U.S. taxpayer-funded program. At the same time, the facility will drain resources that should be marshaled to reduce current customs lines at major U.S. airports that inconvenience U.S. airlines’ passengers and may prompt international travelers to choose destinations other than the United States.
In Washington, D.C., ALPA pilots and staffers have galvanized broad industry and labor opposition to the CBP facility. The strong bipartisan disfavor was reflected by the more than 130 co-sponsors of the Meehan-DeFazio bill (H.R. 3488), which would have required the U.S. government to perform an analysis of a facility’s potential effect on U.S. airlines and CBP staffing before it proceeds with any plans.
ALPA has long recognized that many foreign airlines possess the bankrolls to wield formidable influence among Washington, D.C., policymakers. This latest vote is simply fresh evidence of the vital importance of ALPA’s efforts to reshape the narrative on Capitol Hill. ALPA will redouble its force and fortitude in leading an industry-wide charge to halt this facility and, more broadly, to redirect the U.S. government to put its policies firmly behind the U.S. airline industry and stop abetting our competitors.
ALPA is also seizing the leadership role in defining our industry’s response to a global threat and defending the U.S. airline industry and its employees by taking on emerging business models designed by foreign companies to allow them to unfairly compete against U.S. airlines in the global marketplace.
In both legal action and news media outreach, ALPA continues to amplify its call for the U.S. Department of Transportation to flatly reject Norwegian Air International’s foreign air carrier permit application because the company is simply seeking to dodge its national labor laws and regulations to unfairly gain an advantage against U.S. airlines.
Despite being based in Norway, NAI has applied for an operating certificate in Ireland. It appears that NAI’s flight crews will work under individual employment contracts that are governed by Singapore law and that have wages and working conditions substantially inferior to those of NAI’s Norway-based pilots.
In all our efforts, ALPA is underscoring the many questions that the NAI scheme raises, such as: which labor laws will apply to NAI’s cabin and flight crews? Which regulatory framework will apply and which country will have oversight over NAI’s operations? How can U.S. airlines that operate under one regulator, one certification agency, and one set of labor laws have a fair fight when they compete economically against foreign airlines if they are allowed to shop for the most advantageous laws and regulations?
ALPA will bring all of its resources to bear to stop NAI’s labor-shopping business model. If this model is allowed to succeed, it will threaten the future of the U.S. airline industry and the jobs of U.S. pilots. We need every ALPA member in this fight.
The bill, which is expected to be taken up by Congress in the coming days, illustrates legislating at its worst—an egregious example of federal lawmakers’ giving priority to influential foreign businesses rather than to an industry that fuels our nation’s economy, supports our national security, and provides tens of thousands of U.S. jobs.
With the language in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014, Congress will fund a CBP preclearance facility to be operated at a location where no U.S. air carrier flies and where only a state-owned foreign airline will benefit from the U.S. taxpayer-funded program. At the same time, the facility will drain resources that should be marshaled to reduce current customs lines at major U.S. airports that inconvenience U.S. airlines’ passengers and may prompt international travelers to choose destinations other than the United States.
In Washington, D.C., ALPA pilots and staffers have galvanized broad industry and labor opposition to the CBP facility. The strong bipartisan disfavor was reflected by the more than 130 co-sponsors of the Meehan-DeFazio bill (H.R. 3488), which would have required the U.S. government to perform an analysis of a facility’s potential effect on U.S. airlines and CBP staffing before it proceeds with any plans.
ALPA has long recognized that many foreign airlines possess the bankrolls to wield formidable influence among Washington, D.C., policymakers. This latest vote is simply fresh evidence of the vital importance of ALPA’s efforts to reshape the narrative on Capitol Hill. ALPA will redouble its force and fortitude in leading an industry-wide charge to halt this facility and, more broadly, to redirect the U.S. government to put its policies firmly behind the U.S. airline industry and stop abetting our competitors.
ALPA is also seizing the leadership role in defining our industry’s response to a global threat and defending the U.S. airline industry and its employees by taking on emerging business models designed by foreign companies to allow them to unfairly compete against U.S. airlines in the global marketplace.
In both legal action and news media outreach, ALPA continues to amplify its call for the U.S. Department of Transportation to flatly reject Norwegian Air International’s foreign air carrier permit application because the company is simply seeking to dodge its national labor laws and regulations to unfairly gain an advantage against U.S. airlines.
Despite being based in Norway, NAI has applied for an operating certificate in Ireland. It appears that NAI’s flight crews will work under individual employment contracts that are governed by Singapore law and that have wages and working conditions substantially inferior to those of NAI’s Norway-based pilots.
In all our efforts, ALPA is underscoring the many questions that the NAI scheme raises, such as: which labor laws will apply to NAI’s cabin and flight crews? Which regulatory framework will apply and which country will have oversight over NAI’s operations? How can U.S. airlines that operate under one regulator, one certification agency, and one set of labor laws have a fair fight when they compete economically against foreign airlines if they are allowed to shop for the most advantageous laws and regulations?
ALPA will bring all of its resources to bear to stop NAI’s labor-shopping business model. If this model is allowed to succeed, it will threaten the future of the U.S. airline industry and the jobs of U.S. pilots. We need every ALPA member in this fight.
#3
Line Holder
Joined APC: Jun 2010
Position: Want(ed) to be an Airline Pilot
Posts: 43
sunset
Sounds very scary, your career as you know it could be setting like the Sun.
I hope not but doubt our government puts the health of it's own nation in front of the health of a few individuals.
I hope not but doubt our government puts the health of it's own nation in front of the health of a few individuals.
#4
Now you've gone and done it Dave! Making a political statement on APC is against the TOS the PC cops and every other decent god fearing principal that causes red blooded Americans to require censorship at any and all times in case that somebody may feel offended by your statement. So be a good American and follow the precepts of politically washed and approved free speech only.
#8
Why don't you just enjoy your retirement and leave the heavy lifting to those still in the game? If you can't do that, at least get your facts right. ALPA Pac contributes to both sides of the isle on a issue by issue basis. Lots of Red, and Blue doors are open.
#9
I have shiny jet syndrome
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Position: ELACS, FACs and SECs. Who doesn't love 'em?
Posts: 984
Not sure if that's the "isle" you meant, but it is very apropos.
#10
Gets Weekend Reserve
Joined APC: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,615
Looks like Etihad is planning a major expansion to the US...
UAE and US have an open skies agreement. Etihad codeshares wih AA. Why doesn't AA fly to AUH from DFW, ORD, MIA, LAX, JFK or IAD and utilize codeshare/open skies agreement is something to ask Doug Parker...
As an American living in the UAE, I like the idea of preclearance here, though I would have preferred to have seen it in Dubai (Emirates has a greater presence in the US, and UAL and Delta fly here as well).
UAE and US have an open skies agreement. Etihad codeshares wih AA. Why doesn't AA fly to AUH from DFW, ORD, MIA, LAX, JFK or IAD and utilize codeshare/open skies agreement is something to ask Doug Parker...
As an American living in the UAE, I like the idea of preclearance here, though I would have preferred to have seen it in Dubai (Emirates has a greater presence in the US, and UAL and Delta fly here as well).
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post