April 2, 2020

The Honorable Steven T. Mnuchin
Secretary
United States Department of the Treasury
1500 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20220

Dear Secretary Mnuchin,
I am writing to you on behalf of the more than 85,000 Teamsters working in aviation. Earlier this
week, the President noted in a tweet the efforts of Teamster-represented Atlas pilots, who are flying
tons of medical supplies to the places that most need them. Last week, America’s aviation workers
won a huge victory in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020 (CARES
Act) that should be the model for how we deal with the entire economic crisis caused by COVID-
19. Under the provisions that the Teamsters and other unions fought to have included, the federal
government will pay the wages, salaries, and benefits of more than two million airline and airport
workers, most of whom were facing layoffs or furloughs due to the near total collapse of air travel
in this country.
The CARES Act ensures that pilots, flight attendants, gate agents, and mechanics, as well as airline
caterers and cleaners -- all groups the Teamsters represent -- will continue to receive a paycheck
and benefits. It keeps the entire industry out of the unemployment line, on the tax rolls, on our
health care, and on the job so that we’re ready to get the American economy moving again as soon
as the “all clear” sounds.
As the Treasury Department begins to issue guidance for employers who wish to apply for these
funds, it must ensure that any loans extended to carriers or contractors include lock-tight
protections for existing collective bargaining agreements, mirroring the protections provided to
grant funds under Section 4115 of the CARES Act. These protections, as well as additional
prohibitions on furloughs, layoffs, or wage reductions, should also be extended not just through
the end of September 30th 2020, but through the termination of the use of those funds by the
recipient.
We have heard concerns from Teamster airline employers about a provision in the bill which gives
the Secretary the authority to take an ownership stake in the airlines in exchange for any funds that
keep workers on payroll (Sec. 4117). While we understand these concerns as described, Aviation
workers are also taxpayers. When the public steps in to keep companies afloat, we deserve concrete
assurances that these funds will be used in the public interest, and not solely in the best interests
of the corporate boardroom. But we also recognize this crisis and its impact on workers and the
economy is unprecedented. I urge you to continue engaging in good faith negotiations with airline
employers voicing their concerns about Sec. 4117. We believe that the framework authorized
under the CARES Act gives you sufficient authority to strike the necessary balance on this issue
and provide desperately needed relief for millions of American workers.
Teamsters and other union members have been on the front lines of fighting this pandemic from
the very beginning. In the midst of a global public health crisis, we’ve helped millions of
Americans return to their homes to shelter. We’ve assisted the federal government in delivering
critical medical supplies to healthcare workers on the front lines caring for coronavirus patients.
Under the terms of the payroll grants program, we will ensure that small and rural communities
have access to needed air travel. We will keep healthcare supply chains functioning across the
country.
Teamsters represent more than 85,000 of aviation’s first responders. We are committed to working
with the Administration in this moment of shared national responsibility and are standing by with
our entire industry in the country’s economic recovery. We thank you for your commitment to
protecting our jobs by ensuring federal aid is not leveraged against the working people who are
now counting on this assistance to stay out of the unemployment lines.

Sincerely,
Capt. David Bourne
Director, Teamsters Airline Division