Radio Ad Buy Targets GOP Frosh Chip Cravaack and Sean Duffy over Potential FAA Shutdown

As GOP’s Obstruction over Unrelated Union Provision Threatens Another FAA Shutdown, New Ads Highlight Role of Two Freshman GOPers – Chip Cravaack (MN-08) and Sean Duffy (WI-07) – in Continued Impasse

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) announces new radio ads targeting Republican freshmen Representatives Chip Cravaack (MN-08) and Sean Duffy (WI-07) over their role in blocking passage of a long-term Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization bill due to an unrelated provision about union elections. As a result of a continued impasse over the unrelated provision about National Mediation Board (NMB) election rules, the FAA faces another shutdown on January 31^st unless an agreement can be forged.

Given the projected job creation and aviation system infrastructure upgrades promised by the FAA bill’s passage – and the unrelated nature of the union elections issue driving the impasse – this issue is a rare instance of both labor voices and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce agreeing: the FAA bill is not the appropriate vehicle for addressing the controversial NMB labor provision.

The ads highlight both Cravaack’s and Duffy’s roles in driving toward another FAA shutdown and point out that both Members have insisted on “weighing down this important bill with an unrelated, controversial provision.” The ads conclude by calling on their constituents to “tell him enough! Quit playing games with our jobs, our infrastructure, and our future.” The radio ads will run in both the Minnesota 8^th congressional district and the Wisconsin 7^th congressional district for the remainder of this week.

“Both Rep. Cravaack’s and Rep. Duffy’s constituents deserve to learn of their role in voting against fair elections and remaining complicit in the continued obstruction of a sorely-needed job creation bill,” said CWA Communications Director Candice Johnson.

As a reminder, Reps. Cravaack, Duffy, and other Republicans in the House, such as Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH), Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), and Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Rep. John Mica (R-FL), have insisted that the final version of the multi-year FAA bill include a provision changing the rules for union elections overseen by the National Mediation Board (NMB). Not only is their proposed provision undemocratic – it would count non-participating voters as “no” voters, a standard different from every other form of democratic election in our nation – and one that not one single member of Congress could have been elected if used in their own races in 2010.

The unrelated nature of the NMB provision and the potential jobs and infrastructure benefits of the FAA Reauthorization bill caused the U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently to tell Republican leadership their preference that the FAA Reauthorization bill move forward without the contentious and unrelated NMB provision, as the FAA bill was not the proper vehicle for the controversial NMB battle.

Unless Congress reaches an agreement by January 31^st on either another short-term FAA extension or the final passage of the larger, multi-year reauthorization bill, we face another shutdown. As a result of the July 2011 FAA shutdown, the FAA had to send home 4,000 agency employees for two weeks, as well as construction crews on FAA-funded projects nationwide. In addition, hundreds of millions of dollars in fees airlines pay to the FAA went uncollected. Ultimately, Congress approved a temporary funding extension, but the critical airport infrastructure and aviation upgrades and jobs promised by a multi-year FAA Reauthorization bill remain unrealized.

· Link to CWA Radio Ads Targeting Representatives Cravaack and Duffy: http://www.cwa-union.org/pages/heres_why_radio_spots

Contact: Chuck Porcari cporcari@cwa-union.org or Liz Schilling eschilling@cwa-union.org 202-434-1168