- California AG Rob Bonta led a coalition of 18 AGs in submitting a comment letter opposing a proposed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rule regarding the application of state labor laws to pilots and flight attendants, arguing that the proposed federal rule could compromise worker welfare by removing all protections for mid-shift meals and rest breaks.
- In the comment letter, AG Bonta and the coalition argue that the proposed regulations exceed the federal government’s authority, undermine state laws enacted to ensure the well-being of workers, and challenge existing judicial precedent in the aviation industry. The coalition further asserts that FAA does not have authority to unilaterally establish preemption in a manner that conflicts with prior judicial precedent.
- According to the AGs, state meal and rest break laws promote worker welfare without undermining federal aviation safety, and the coalition argues that the FAA’s concerns about the difficulty of complying with state laws and regulations are overstated and the FAA’s interpretation could be applied in future cases to eliminate other worker protections in the airline industry or other industries.