March 18, 2020 8:48 AM
A spokesman for Pelosi said she told the chief executives that “there was agreement on the crucial contribution aviation workers provide to the nation’s economy; the need for big, immediate action; and that assistance must put workers’ paychecks and benefits first”. But congressional aides say they will likely demand significant conditions as part of any bailout and its form is still uncertain.
Pelosi and some other Democrats insist that any bailout must prioritise workers. Others want airlines to adopt consumer-friendly or environmentally sound business practices as a condition of a bailout. Four Democratic senators said in a letter on Tuesday that Congress made mistakes when assistance it offered after the September 2001 attacks did not provide sufficient protections for employees.