06-R
142
2006 -- S 2470
Enacted 03/21/06
S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N
RESPECTFULLY
REQUESTING AN INVESTIGATION INTO NORTHWEST AIRLINES PROPOSED OUTSOURCING OF
3,000 FLIGHT ATTENDANT JOBS
Introduced By: Senators
Raptakis, DaPonte, Polisena, Damiani, and F Caprio
Date Introduced: February
09, 2006
WHEREAS,
In 2001, Northwest Airlines received nearly $250 million in emergency
government
assistance after their revenues plummeted due to the government ordered
four-day
airline
shutdown and subsequent fall-off in airline travel that occurred after the
September 11,
2001
terrorists attacks; and
WHEREAS,
The $250 million bailout was paid for by American taxpayers. Ten years
earlier,
Minnesota lawmakers had approved an $838 million financial aid package for
Northwest,
also
paid for in part by American taxpayers; and
WHEREAS,
Northwest Airlines Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in
September
of 2005. They are looking for $195 million in concessions from their flight
attendants,
and a total of $1.4 billion in wage and benefit cuts from their employees; and
WHEREAS,
In addition, Northwest has proposed the outsourcing of 3,000 flight
attendant
jobs to foreign nationals. The company's main impetus is economics, yet for the
American
public there are a variety of other serious considerations, including the
impact
outsourcing
to foreign nationals will have on the airline's security and safety, as well as
the
potential
skills gap between American personnel and foreign nationals; now, therefore be
it
RESOLVED,
That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
hereby
urges the United States Congress to investigate and take steps to halt
Northwest Airlines
proposed
outsourcing of 3,000 flight attendant jobs in lieu of their past bailouts by
the American
public,
some of whom are currently in jeopardy of losing their jobs should the airlines
be allowed
to
outsource to foreign nationals; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to
transmit
duly certified copies of this resolution to the President of the United States
and the
Rhode
Island Congressional Delegation, with all due haste.
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LC02057
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