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WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2020 — The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) issued the following statement after Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) introduced the Air Carrier Worker Support Extension Act of 2020, which would extend the airline worker Payroll Support Program (“PSP”) through March 2021:
A statement from IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr.:
“As the largest airline union in the world, proudly representing more than 110,000 workers in the airline industry, we strongly endorse the Air Carrier Worker Support Extension Act of 2020, recently offered by Senate Commerce Chairman Roger Wicker and Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Susan Collins.
“We believe that the PSP is arguably one of the most effective programs that came from the passage of the CARES Act – it kept our airline membership on payroll and with their health care benefits during this devastating COVID-19 pandemic.”
A statement from IAM Transportation General Vice President Sito Pantoja:
“There are only eight days remaining before the current airline payroll support program expires, and without a clean extension, hundreds of thousands of airline workers face the possibility of being furloughed.
“We respectfully urge Senators to help save the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of airline workers by supporting the Air Carrier Worker Support Extension Act now.”
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is the largest airline union in the world, representing more than 110,000 baggage handlers, customer service agents, mechanics and other workers at American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and other carriers across the United States.
