Emphatically urging the Philadelphia International Airport ("the Airport") to pursue all available and lawful alternatives to facilitate a resolution to the labor dispute that is fair to all parties, that ensures uninterrupted service at the Airport and that sustains the breadth of air carrier services upon which the City and its citizens depend.

WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia has a strong proprietary interest in protecting the substantial revenues it receives from the efficient operations of air carrier transportation at the Airport and the volume of passenger enplanements at the Airport; and

WHEREAS, On November 20, 2014, baggage handlers and other workers at the Philadelphia International Airport (Airport or PHL) conducted a lawful, unfair labor practice strike against PrimeFlight Aviation Services, the airline subcontractor that manages baggage handling for US Airways, in protest of PrimeFlight's actions which unlawfully targeted workers that participated in protected, labor organization activities; and

WHEREAS, The poor labor conditions of subcontractor workers who perform Ground Handling Services at the Airport has elevated the risk of further strikes, boycotts and other forms of service disruptions due to labor disputes among these employees which directly threatens the critical volume-based revenues that the City receives from efficient operations at the Airport; and

WHEREAS, The City has a proprietary interest in ensuring labor peace at the Airport in order to ensure the continuity of Ground Handling Services and other critical airport services at the Airport to effectively protect the City against any loss of volume-based revenues the City receives from Airport operations and tourism; and

WHEREAS, Airport service employees have organized with Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union to engage in lawful actions against including a work stoppage in protest against PrimeFlight for numerous alleged unfair labor practices; and

WHEREAS, Striking employees are entitled as a matter of law to return to their employment at such time as they conclude their lawful strike against unfair labor practice without prejudice, delay or interference from PrimeFlight; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, On behalf of the its citizens and workers, urge the Airport to pursue all available lawful means to facilitate a resolution to the labor dispute involving PrimeFlight employees that is fair to all parties, that ensures uninterrupted service at the Airport, and that sustains the breadth of air carrier services upon which citizens of Philadelphia depend; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Will pursue lawful action, including but not limited to, exercising its powers to manage and regulate operations at the Airport so to ensure that PrimeFlight and other Ground Handling Service do not harm, or threaten to harm, the efficient operations at the Airport and the volume-based revenues the Airport generates for the City by escalating labor disputes through unlawful conduct, including, but not limited to, refusing to allow lawfully striking employees of PrimeFlight to return to their previous employment without prejudice or delay at the conclusion of such strike or other lawful job actions.

End