For Immediate Release

April 12, 2003

ADDITIONAL HELP FOR AIRLINE WORKERS
CONTAINED IN WAR SUPPLEMENTAL BILL

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two Washington state lawmakers were successful on Friday during a House-Senate conference committee session in restoring funds  needed to provide a total of 26 weeks of extended unemployment benefits for airline and aviation-related workers affected by the industry downturn since the September 11th attacks.

            Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) convinced members of the conference panel to scrap a preliminary agreement that would have reduced the number of additional benefits to 13 weeks, and to reinstate the 26 weeks that Sen. Murray originally passed in the Senate last week.

            Arguing strongly during the final deliberations over the emergency wartime supplemental appropriations bill, Murray and Dicks and fellow appropriator David Obey (D-WI) reminded the members of the conference panel of the strong support -- convincing votes in both chambers -- for aiding the thousands of U.S. aviation-related workers who have been furloughed in the past 18 months.  Because of the dramatic and widespread impact on this important industry, they argued, workers need the additional half-year of benefits -- beyond the standard 26 weeks -- in order to find new jobs or seek retraining.

                "Particularly because of the direct impact on Boeing workers, this provision was critical for Washington State," Rep. Dicks said.

                The agreement was included in the final version of the wartime supplemental spending bill, ultimately approved in Congress on Saturday afternoon.  It will be sent to the President for signature immediately.

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