Following the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s hearing on the nomination of Phil Washington for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator, SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry issued the following statement:

“With our nation’s aviation system in crisis, we need a strong leader like Phil Washington at the helm of the FAA to shore up the industry and advance solutions that create safer, more resilient airports – especially for the majority Black, brown and immigrant service workers who power our airports.

“At present, our aviation system is in a state of constant dysfunction, leaving travelers and workers alike to contend with record flight cancellations, mountains of lost luggage, system-wide outages and broader travel chaos. At the same time, airport service workers are taking on larger-than-ever workloads for no extra pay.

“Washington has a proven record of leadership managing big organizations while demonstrating a remarkable commitment to creating and sustaining good jobs at our airports. SEIU is proud to endorse Washington to serve as FAA Administrator and urges the Senate to swiftly confirm his nomination.”