Millions of aviation workers are at risk of losing their paychecks. Democrats have a solution — but Congressional Republicans need to listen.
By Senator Bob Casey and Sara Nelson
In Philadelphia, 2,100 airline employees — flight attendants, pilots, mechanics, gate agents and others — will lose their jobs on October 1 unless the Republican Senate passes a relief package including an extension of the CARES Act Payroll Support Program (PSP).
Along with those employed by the airlines, airport workers like wheelchair attendants, maintenance staff and caterers will also join the unemployment lines from in communities across our state and every one of Pennsylvania’s 15 commercial airports.
As we continue to combat COVID-19, air travel remains at historic lows. Thanks to the PSP — a provision put forward by unions and fought for by Democrats in the House and Senate — 2.1 million aviation workers kept their paychecks and health care during the first six months of this unprecedented crisis.
And while it provided security for workers, the PSP put strict conditions on airlines, including no layoffs or pay cuts, no executive bonuses, no stock buybacks, and no cuts to minimum service requirements that keep flights moving to less profitable destinations.
However, the PSP expires September 30 unless the Senate acts, and service will start to disappear along with the jobs, cutting off communities from travel and essential services. Already, American Airlines has announced plans to discontinue service to Williamsport for at least a month, and we can expect other airlines to cut routes to small and medium markets around Pennsylvania. That will mean fewer options, higher prices, and delays in cargo shipments — including the US Mail that is carried on passenger aircraft. Of the 15 commercial airports in the state, only Philadelphia International Airport is large enough to be fully protected from possible service cuts.
In every community where there is a commercial airport, the furloughs will create pain. Many of the jobs that will be lost are good, family-supporting union jobs, jobs that also support economic activity across Pennsylvania. Nearly one in fourteen US jobs is supported by aviation — and every 100 airline jobs supports approximately 355 jobs either directly or indirectly outside the industry.
So if those 2,100 jobs disappear at Philadelphia International Airport, roughly 7,000 more jobs that depend on them are gone as well.
Today, more Americans are out of work than at any other time since the late 1930’s. There are more than two job seekers for every open position. We can hardly afford to lose tens of thousands of aviation jobs and many more that depend on them as the ripple effect hits the broader economy. The PSP is a proven, effective program that can to prevent these losses and enjoys broad bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress.
Aviation workers are facing a hard deadline on October 1, and Congress’s failure to act will result in enormous consequences that extend far beyond these workers alone.
And aviation workers are not the only ones facing deadlines and a serious crisis because of the Senate’s inaction.
Tens of millions of workers have lost their jobs and the enhanced unemployment benefit that kept many afloat expired months ago. Unemployment benefits will end entirely in a matter of months for many workers who lost work at the beginning of this crisis without further action from Congress. They have to pay rent and mortgages at the end of the month — and more than 40 million Americans are already behind on their rent or mortgages. As the economic crisis continues, families across the country are struggling to put food on the table. More than 54 million people, including 18 million children, are expected to be food insecure this year, a significant increase from 35 million people in 2019.
Cities and states had their tax revenues evaporate. Now states and local governments must craft austerity budgets for 2021 where health and long-term care, education, public safety, and sanitation will be on the chopping block. Layoffs have begun in for over a million public employees, and by some estimates as many as five million may be laid off in the coming year without investment by the Senate.
The US Postal Service’s main sources of revenue have been decimated while new policies implemented by a partisan Postmaster General make it nearly impossible for dedicated postal workers to carry out their mission of prompt, affordable, universal service. Without immediate aid, the Postal Service — a national treasure enshrined in our Constitution — may not survive.
And our heroes on the front lines, particularly health care workers and first responders, are putting their lives and families at risk to care for others. That is no more so the case than in long-term care facilities, where roughly 40 percent of deaths from COVID-19 have occurred. These workers deserve more than a pat on the back and a yard sign. They deserve pandemic premium pay.
It is time for the Republican Senate and President Trump to work with Democrats to enact a robust COVID-19 relief bill that will meet the moment of this crisis for families and workers across America. Within that bill, we can extend the PSP and preserve 2.1 million aviation jobs and so many more.
