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Rally Feb. 16 at Sea-Tac Airport: No more federal lockouts!

UPDATE –Although it appears that this latest shutdown that would begin at midnight Friday will be averted, Saturday’s rally will go on. The message is the same: stop playing political games with federal employees’ lives and stop putting aviation safety at risk!


SEATAC — The U.S. government is on the brink of another shutdown lockout and hundreds of thousands of federal workers are once again being held hostage. Although there is progress being reported in congressional leaders’ negotiations to fund government, whether the volatile Donald Trump will sign the deal is anybody’s guess.

It is absolutely despicable that some 800,000 federal workers and their families — who continue to suffer from the last 35-day lockout — are being used once again as a bargaining chip for political gain. This must stop! No more shutdowns! NO MORE LOCKOUTS!

Whether or not the lockout is averted at the last minute, all union members and community supporters are urged to join MLK Labor, members of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA and other federal aviation workers this Saturday, Feb. 16 to tell the Trump administration and lawmakers that enough is enough — stop playing political games with people’s lives and stop putting aviation safety at risk! Participants will gather Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Sea-Tac International Airport’s Flag Pavilion at International Blvd and S. 182nd St. RSVP and get more info at the Facebook event page.

Participants will be leafleting with the following message:

The 35-day government shutdown risked the safety of everyone who flies, including Flight Attendants, and threatened our entire economy.

It may take years to get things back to normal. Our aviation system cannot sustain another Lockout of our critical government functions and the people who make them work.

During the Lockout, we warned that the aviation safety and security systems were being stretched to a breaking point. Air traffic controllers, transportation security officers, and other federal workers who keep our airports safe and our planes on safe routes were forced to work for five weeks without pay.

Federal workers were stressed to a breaking point and didn’t have the support for important job functions, normally performed by furloughed workers. That puts all of us in real danger, and threatens our entire economy as inevitable flight delays and
cancellations follow.

Every American who flies – and every American who relies on air cargo for home delivery ranging from prescription drugs to a new pair of shoes – relies on these workers to keep us safe and keep our economy moving forward.

If they can’t do their job, we can’t do ours! #LockoutNeverAgain

CALL CONGRESS NOW: 202-224-3121

CHECK OUT THE UNION DIFFERENCE in Washington: higher wages, affordable health and dental care, job and retirement security.

FIND OUT HOW TO JOIN TOGETHER with your co-workers to negotiate for better wages, benefits, and a voice at work. Or go ahead and contact a union organizer today!