Union bosses and Dems behind partial FAA shutdown

Because another runaway-Obama controlled agency, the National Mediation Board, decided to change a 75 year-old work union election rule that favors labor bosses, the FAA is under partial shutdown. The Democrats are siding with the bosses, the Republicans want the old rule put back in place.

From Business Week:

Efforts to avert a shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration failed Friday amid a disagreement over a $16.5 million cut in subsidies to 13 rural communities, ensuring that nearly 4,000 people will be temporarily out of work and federal airline ticket taxes will be suspended.

Lawmakers were unable to resolve a partisan dispute over an extension of the agency's operating authority, which expired at midnight Friday.

The subsidy cut was included by Republicans in a House bill extending operating authority for the FAA, which has a $16 billion budget. Senate Democrats refused to accept the House bill with the cuts, and Republican senators refused to accept a Democratic bill without it. Lawmakers then adjourned for the weekend.

But underlying the dispute on rural air service subsidies was a standoff between the GOP-controlled House and the Democratic-controlled Senate over a provision in long-term funding legislation for the FAA that would make it more difficult for airline and railroad workers to unionize.

Related posts:

GOP hits back on NMB overreach
WFI responds to House Committee On Oversight reviewing rule change
NMB wrong can be righted

Technorati tags: politics Democrats organized labor unions Republican gop