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Post by snowwx on Apr 17, 2018 4:25:26 GMT -5
HR-4-115th-as-introduced.pdf (809.09 KB) i was skimming through the bill...if there is a reference to the CWO program, i must have missed it...maybe somebody can find it...
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Post by chachiman on Apr 17, 2018 10:28:09 GMT -5
HR4 is the initial markup of the Bill....amendments will be added to the Bill for FAA/ATC later. The later language will include our Program.
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Post by fzraman on Apr 17, 2018 18:49:01 GMT -5
Congress in many cases will rebuild the last FAA Re-authorization that they actually passed. They make paragraph and word changes forming the new one. The last one protected us and if they don't remove or change the section protecting us it should remain in effect.
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Post by snowwx on Apr 25, 2018 2:20:54 GMT -5
Just came out: Shuster still trying
AOPA: CALL CONGRESS TODAY TO DEFEAT LAST-MINUTE ATC GRAB SHUSTER’S AIRLINE TROJAN HORSE BRINGS BACK ATC THREAT April 24, 2018 By Thomas B Haines In a surprise move, Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), retiring chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, introduced a “manager’s amendment” to H.R. 4, a bill meant to provide long-term stable funding for the FAA, something that most everyone involved in aviation had been supporting. The amendment is Shuster’s last-gasp effort to remove the U.S. air traffic control system from the FAA and allow it to be run by a board where the airlines will have unparalleled control. AOPA is asking pilots and anyone who cares about the future of the U.S. air traffic system to contact their member of Congress today and tell them to oppose Section 5 of the Shuster amendment to H.R. 4. A vote on the bill could happen as soon as April 25.
The Capitol is home to the U.S. Congress. The House and Senate have significant influence over general aviation. Photo by David Tulis. The Capitol is home to the U.S. Congress. The House and Senate have significant influence over general aviation. Photo by David Tulis. “I am surprised as anyone,” said Jim Coon, AOPA senior vice president of government affairs. “It doesn’t appear that there has been any effort to gain consensus among anyone, especially after what the industry has been through for the last two years on this issue.”
Contact your member of Congress AOPA urges pilots to immediately contact their member of Congress and tell them “to oppose Section 5 of the Shuster Amendment to H.R. 4.”
Find your representative and contact him or her today. In February, Shuster pulled the long-debated bill, opposed by nearly all segments of general aviation and numerous unions, local mayors, small airports, and others, saying he could not build enough support to get it passed in the House. Shuster, who has announced he will not run for re-election, implied he was ready to instead focus on a bill that could be supported by all stakeholders. However, Section 5 of the amendment he introduced late April 23, just hours before a planned vote, calls for moving the FAA Air Traffic Organization, the entity inside the FAA tasked with managing air traffic control, to report to the Department of Transportation. The amendment also appoints a 13-member board to “advise” the DOT bureaucracy on how to run the system. The board resembles the same airline-influenced board Shuster had in the bill he withdrew in February. “This potentially could raise safety issues as well,” added Coon. “There is no entity other than the FAA with the expertise, knowledge, and experience to run the largest, most complex air traffic system in the world."
Coon went on to say, “It solves none of the problems we all should be focusing on. It does nothing to reduce delays; it doesn’t advance modernization of the air traffic system, it doesn’t create efficiencies, and it won’t lower air fares. It’s essentially the same proposal that failed but it gives control to the airlines inside of government as opposed to outside, and not too many people support that principle.
AOPA President Mark Baker agreed, saying, “Let’s focus on ATC reform that solves problems and maintains the remarkable safety our current system has demonstrated.” To do that, Baker called for a summit of all air traffic stakeholders to determine the future of the system.
“Rather than backdoor deals, let’s pass a long-term funding bill for the FAA and then sit down in the open and put together a plan to advance modernization in a productive way,” Baker said.
AOPA and most all GA stakeholders support the language in H.R. 4—minus Section 5 in the last-minute Shuster amendment. The bill would establish a five-year authorization for the FAA, just the sort of funding plan the airlines and GA have said is necessary to give the agency the time to plan and implement ATC modernization.
“It’s imperative that pilots call their member of Congress today and tell them to oppose Section 5 of the Shuster Amendment to H.R. 4,” Baker reiterated. “We can’t let this last-minute backroom deal change our ATC system forever.”
Thomas B. Haines Thomas B Haines Editor in Chief AOPA Editor in Chief Tom Haines joined AOPA in 1988. He owns and flies a Beechcraft A36 Bonanza. Since soloing at 16 and earning a private pilot certificate at 17, he has flown more than 100 models of general aviation airplanes.GO TO THOMAS B HAINES'S PROFILE Topics: Advocacy, Capitol Hill, FAA Funding RELATED ARTICLES ARTICLE Air Care Alliance summit seeks common ground GO TO ARTICLE ADVOCACY Powder River Council reviews special-use airspace impact GO TO ARTICLE ADVOCACY FAA reauthorization bill 2.0 introduced in the House GO TO ARTICLE
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Post by tornado on Apr 25, 2018 13:35:23 GMT -5
Recently on the floor:
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Post by lostsheep on Apr 25, 2018 19:40:55 GMT -5
Hopefully it goes through!!! Wondering if the contracts will come out for bid on time or will they be tied to passing of this bill?
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Post by northwx on Apr 26, 2018 17:14:35 GMT -5
Current contracts will be extended until they can get it together... HR4 passed with our amendment so it matches the Senate version. Reconciliation committee next, likely September, though not scheduled yet - they aren't likely to change our provision since they agree. Then it goes back to the house & senate for full votes - rubber stamp - then to the POTUS, who wants to sign this I'm told - likely January.
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Post by snowwx on May 9, 2018 1:03:09 GMT -5
Even though, the house and senate are finally seeing the importance of the CWO program...There are still the FAA types in the swamp that are still bent on trying to destroy the program and or eliminate CWOs...we must not let our guard down as long as these swamp dwellers are still there...They will try to come up with ways to make life miserable for the cwos with increased regulation or changes that make no sense...they will continue to try to think of different ways to circumvent congress and get their way...so we must maintain vigilance all the way to 2023 and come up with countermeasures to the swamp rats...because come 2023 there will be an all out war started by them to screw everybody because they didnt get their way earlier...
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Post by coldlover on May 9, 2018 5:39:44 GMT -5
Even though, the house and senate are finally seeing the importance of the CWO program...There are still the FAA types in the swamp that are still bent on trying to destroy the program and or eliminate CWOs...we must not let our guard down as long as these swamp dwellers are still there...They will try to come up with ways to make life miserable for the cwos with increased regulation or changes that make no sense...they will continue to try to think of different ways to circumvent congress and get their way...so we must maintain vigilance all the way to 2023 and come up with countermeasures to the swamp rats...because come 2023 there will be an all out war started by them to screw everybody because they didnt get their way earlier... USCWOA / Signal is working on this. The relative respet gives us time to shore up even more support. Again- this is being planned as I type. Proactiviness is the name of the game and USCWOA /Signal are in it tooth and nail.
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Post by skobie on May 9, 2018 8:11:21 GMT -5
That is all true, coldlover And when asked for help by the USCWOA Board, we must all try to participate to make things work. So far, this has happened when needed and Signal has done a great job for us as well! But we will press on and never let our guard down again, keeping in mind that there are still yearly Appropriations that need to be dealt with to fund the CWO Program, regardless of what's ultimately in the House and/or Senate Re-Authorization Bills.....
In other words, these battles will go on and on and on, but it's still the best $0.20/hr I've ever spent as a working adult as the USCWOA actions and results speak for themselves. Now, if we could get 100% membership amongst all our CWO offices, then that would be something! After all, the USCWOA doesn't pick and choose which CWO sites to fight for....we're in it for everybody and it would be nice if there was reciprocity so that the dues could even be lower for all.
skobie
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Post by northwx on May 9, 2018 17:13:19 GMT -5
Swamp rats have already started squeaking... Remote Alaska stations are now being required to get PIV cards... and they want a "physical address" to mail them to - many of us don't have physical addresses and no street names... this will get mean before they're done. Anchorage tel # we are to call ASAP only has a message machine - must not be so important...
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Post by flyguy on May 10, 2018 7:59:01 GMT -5
Skobie,
What really amazes me is how many of the sites across the country were either on the list of 14 or the list of 57, that have very low or ZERO members in the USCWOA.
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Post by dejavu on May 10, 2018 16:17:22 GMT -5
The reason alot of the CWOs at those sites aren't paying members is because they are either retired ATCs or retired military or they have second jobs. Many have retirement income and/or Social Security income. Many are older and have their houses paid-off. They are just working until their station closes. I'm not bad-mouthing them, just being informative (I know of which I speak).
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Post by northwx on May 10, 2018 17:21:20 GMT -5
My crew doesn't want to pay both the union and the Association - which doesn't make sense, but that's what they tell me. Different functions, and both important and well worth it for us. Perhaps an effective events-summary/recruitment letter emailed by the Association would gain some more members. A financial statement might be helpful also (kept brief and simple). We owe our jobs to all those who helped with this effort.
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Post by coldlover on May 11, 2018 5:13:16 GMT -5
The reason alot of the CWOs at those sites aren't paying members is because they are either retired ATCs or retired military or they have second jobs. Many have retirement income and/or Social Security income. Many are older and have their houses paid-off. They are just working until their station closes. I'm not bad-mouthing them, just being informative (I know of which I speak). This is also true for many members of USCWOA- (retired Military/ATC / second jobs / have debt paid off/ in retirement etc. ) It works both ways. I would bet that it's a wash in the end or more "retired" folks being in USCWOA then not-- and just an excuse for those not (or no education on the matter) and/or being greedy. The matter at hand is that the USCWOA ( and previous Contractor support) through Signal, has gotten over 70% of the CWO community to help preserve the ENTIRE CWO community with serious pending results. No specific sites to be gone. EVERYONE is in. I know many of the founders of the USCWOA and they tirelessly work and spend their own time/$$ etc. on trying to prevent job losses for ALL. Not just their own sites- but ALL. Basically what I'am saying is that many people have UNSELFISHLY given to the CWO community only to (according the DejaVu statement -) to have some think about themselves and only themselves. Human nature, I get it. But without "pushback" from many - those just doing it for a 2nd job, or main job., would have been out of a job "waiting for their station to close" ... Sorry- some of us don't have such a negative aspect on things and we don't give in to what the FAA says without real facts. If the CWO community has that "waiting for the station to close" mindset, it's over for EVERYONE. Sorry folks- That is the Truth.
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