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Legislative Alert
posted 25 May 2002

The Senate's 2002 supplemental appropriations bill contains language which will hurt us and our airline.

This Bill would not allow the Airline Transportation Stabilization Board (ATSB) to issue any more loan guarantees until the government's next fiscal year (October 1, 2002).
This Bill also reduces the monies available under the loan guarantee program from the original $10 billion to $4 billion.

We must take IMMEDIATE ACTION to have both of these provisions stricken from the bill when the Senate considers it upon their return on Monday, June 3rd.

This is what we need you to do.... today!

► FAX Senator Byrd (the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee) a copy of the letter (in this hyperlink) once you have personalized it by adding your address. (You may have received this letter in Lotus Notes at work).

► Call Senator Robert C. Byrd at (202) 224-3954 and tell him (or his Chief of Staff or Legislative Director) the following:

I am a member of Local 547 -- Transport Workers Union and a US Airways employee. I live in __________ and work in (Charlotte and/or Pittsburgh). I am calling to urge the Senator to help protect my family and my company’s future.

The Senate Appropriations Committee [which Senator Byrd chairs] passed an emergency supplemental bill with a provision that severely limits US Airways’ opportunity to obtain the loan guarantee before October 1st that it needs to recover from its economic losses as a result of September 11^th.

Economically, US Airways is the hardest hit airline after September 11 both because the post 9/11 reluctance to fly has been most pronounced on the East Coast where our flights are concentrated and because our operations at Reagan Washington National Airport were restricted for so many months.

If Congress prohibits the government from issuing loan guarantees prior to October 1^st our company will literally run out of cash -- and that means significant job cuts and service disruptions in many of the more than 200 communities US Airways serves, including several West Virginia US Airways destinations.

Our company and our union has a plan to restructure US Airways and make it a competitive carrier, but the plan is dependent on the ATSB loan guarantee. US Airways is prepared to meet the strict rules set up for applying for a federal loan guarantees. It would be a tragic mistake for Congress to pull back the already-obligated funds before US Airways has an opportunity to submit its loan guarantee application for ATSB review.

Without the loan guarantees, my future, and the future of the 40,000 other employees will be jeopardized. Can I count on the Chairman to amend the Senate supplemental bill to protect the ATSB loan guarantee program?

► Call the Senators who represent you. It is best to contact the local (district) office and speak with the Chief of Staff or the Legislative Director.

Tell them:

"I am a member of Local 547 -- Transport Workers Union and a US Airways employee. I live in __________ and work in __________ (Charlotte and/or Pittsburgh). I am calling to urge the Senator to help protect my family and my company’s future. Can I count on the Senator to strike the provisions in the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill that would:
1.) delay issuance of ATSB loan guarantees until October 1st and
2.) that would reduce the loan guarantees from $10 million to $4 million."

These calls and faxes should be sent so as to reach the Senators during the week of May 28th. (Because mail is delayed due to security issues in the Congressional mail delivery system, letters should be faxed and not sent by U.S. Mail and/or by FedEx or UPS.)