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Thompson's testimony as prepared for delivery before the House Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Aviation follows.
“Chairman Costello, Ranking Member Petri and Members of the Aviation subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony at your hearing today on the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009.
“I come before you again regarding airline passenger rights, almost two years after my first appearance at this subcommittee on this topic, and more than ten years since Congress first examined the problem of extended tarmac delays after hundreds of passengers were stuck in planes on snowy Detroit taxiways in January 1999. It is time for Congress to act to protect the flying public.
“Americans should not be forced to sacrifice their basic rights to food, water and other necessities when they set foot on an airplane. Since 1999 and despite countless industry promises, little or no progress has been made toward ensuring that airline passengers have some basic rights during excessive ground delays.
“It took nearly a year for then-Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters’ 'Tarmac Delay Task Force' to issue a report this past November on how airlines, if so inclined and only “when practical,” might improve onboard conditions for stranded passengers.
“None of the improvements recommended in the report were mandated, and yet again relied entirely upon voluntary action by the airlines. Secretary Peters’ report did nothing to help solve the problems of excessive delays. As the New York Times editorial staff opined after its release, this report was tantamount to telling passengers to 'suck it up and sit there on America’s unfriendly tarmacs for as long as it takes.'
“The lack of voluntary action by airlines for the past ten years only underscores the absolute necessity of including the same passenger rights provisions passed as part of the FAA Reauthorization during the 110th Congress in the version you consider today.
“These provisions would finally require air carriers and airports to submit an emergency contingency plan in the event of excessive delays to the Secretary of Transportation for approval. These plans must detail of how the air carrier will provide food, drinkable water, working restroom facilities, adequate cabin ventilation, and access to medical treatment.
“I recently introduced legislation, H.R. 624, the Passenger Bill of Rights for 2009, which includes the same passenger rights provisions you consider here today as part of the FAA Reauthorization of 2009 but with one critical difference: instead of requiring deplanement after 'excessive delays,' my bill calls for deplanement after three hours.
“By not defining what 'excessive delays' actually means in the current draft, Congress is yet again leaving it to the airlines to self-regulate, an approach that has failed miserably over the past ten years. I urge the committee during the mark-up of this legislation to adopt the language included in my bill, H.R. 624, which sets forth the three hour standard along with important exceptions to be used at the discretion of the pilots.
“Mr. Chairman, after 10 years, it has finally come time to pass these basic passenger protections. Thank you for your past assistance on this issue and continued support by including these provisions in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009. Furthermore, if history repeats itself and this bill is passed by the House but becomes ‘excessively delayed’ on the Senate ‘tarmac,’ I respectfully request that you support my efforts to take these passenger rights provisions as a stand-alone bill to the House floor for immediate consideration.”
Thompson represents Lake County in the US House of Representatives.
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All levels of experience are welcome to help in the chamber office at 4700 Golf Ave.
Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. They're looking to fill all shifts.
For more information call Lori Peters at 994-3600.
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- Written by: Lori Peters
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Lake County News obtained a memo from Steve Smith, vice president of community newspapers for MediaNews Group's California Newspapers Partnership, which informs employees that they will be required to take the unpaid furlough in an effort to help offset revenue declines.
MediaNews Group is the parent company of the Lake County Record-Bee, Clear Lake Observer-American, Ukiah Daily Journal, Chico Enterprise-Record and the Oakland Tribune, among many others.
The Associated Press reported that the furlough order will affect 3,300 newspaper employees – including managers – across the company's daily and weekly newspapers.
Last month, MediaNews Group announced that it would temporarily suspend its matching contributions to employees' 401(k) retirement plans, as Lake County News has reported. That move is being emulated in other newspapers around the country.
The Rocky Mountain News has reported that MediaNews Group had to loan its flagship paper, the Denver Post, $13 million to make its December payroll. The Berkeley Daily Planet reports that MediaNews' East Bay Newspaper Partnership has reduced its staff by 60 percent in continuing layoffs.
Earlier this month, the Record-Bee's newsroom also shrank by one staffer, when News Editor Mandy Feder – the person largely responsible for laying out and proofing the paper – was laid off and her job eliminated.
Newspapers around the country are having financial problems. This week, McClatchy announced it would suspend dividend payments to stockholders.
The full text of Smith's memo is below.
January 28, 2009
TO: NCN Employees
FROM: NCN Central Office
Dear Fellow Employee,
In a further effort to help offset the continuing decline in revenue and position the company for future financial success without further job losses, I am announcing the implementation of a mandatory one (1) week furlough for all employees to be scheduled during the period beginning February 1, 2009 and running through the month of March. Each employee's department head will determine the actual week an employee is furloughed. All management including myself is included.
I realize that we are all working so hard to overcome this difficult time. I know this action will create a strain on our personal budgets. I know I cannot guarantee that a furlough will prevent any further layoffs. However, from what I am hearing across our company ... “a brief period without pay is better than many more layoffs.”
Please understand that I am not trivializing the serious nature of furloughs. Implementing unpaid furloughs is indeed a very serious step. This furlough action is unprecedented for our company. But, I am confident that an unpaid furlough will go a long way toward keeping future layoffs, if any, to a minimum.
Over the next few days, your department heads will meet with you to further explain the furlough process and how people will be scheduled. A Q&A sheet is being prepared for distribution. Your human resources contact will be available to assist you and your supervisors.
Although our customers are our top priority, we will not ignore our other most valuable asset ... our employees. Be assured that throughout this action we will be fair to all our people. To that end personal situations will be considered based on seniority and the operational needs of the company. But, such considerations should only impact when a person's furlough begins and ends, not if a person will or will not be excused from a furlough.
At this time it is important to understand that we, like many media and other companies, are facing significant financial challenges due to the deep recession. We are not the first and we certainly won't be the last to implement furloughs or take similar steps in order to address these challenges and keep our financial houses in order. We take these actions on our own because we can and we should ... for the long term good of our customers and ourselves.
Thank you for your understanding, your support and your dedication.
Sincerely,
Steve Smith
Vice President, Community Newspapers
Northern California
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