LifeSmarts launches 25th anniversary season of consumer literacy education, competition, scholarship opportunities

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September 27, 2018

1.5 million students have gained real-world knowledge through the program

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC–Today marks the official launch of the 25th season of LifeSmarts, with a new competition going live at the online home of the program, LifeSmarts.org. LifeSmarts, a program of the National Consumers League (NCL), is a national scholarship competition and educational program for middle-school and high-school students that tests knowledge of real-life consumer issues and aims to create a future generation of consumer-savvy adults.

“We are very excited to launch our 25th season of LifeSmarts,” said national Program Director Lisa Hertzberg. “For 25 years, LifeSmarts has given students the skills they need to succeed as adults. We’ve seen more than 1.5 million students gain knowledge, confidence, leadership capabilities, and team-building skills. The competition is fun, and the impact of LifeSmarts is lifelong.”

LifeSmarts focuses on five main content areas: consumer rights and responsibilities, personal finance, technology, health and safety, and the environment. Students are quizzed on their knowledge of these subject areas during online competition. Top-performing teams then advance to statewide competitions, and state champion teams advance to the national championship held each year in a different American city. The 2019 National LifeSmarts Championship will take place April 13-16 in Orlando, Florida. Winning team members receive scholarships and other prizes.

Last year, students answered more than 3.5 million consumer questions about credit reports, recycling, nutrition, social media, state lemon laws, and everything in between. By being consumer savvy and quick on the buzzers, the LifeSmarts team from Dallas High School in Dallas, PA, took home top honors at the 24th annual national event in San Diego. Dallas High was a returning champion, taking home the national title three years in a row.

In addition to online, state, and national competitions, LifeSmarts recognition and awards occur throughout the program year:

  • Teams of students vie for cash prizes in the online TeamSmarts quiz, which focuses on a specific LifeSmarts content area each month from September through January.
  • Classroom mentor programs: Five $1,000 scholarships are awarded each winter to winning LifeSmarts students who become Safety Smart Ambassadors, using LifeSmarts content to present safety messages to younger children in their communities.
  • Partnering with FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America), LifeSmarts offers special competitive events for student members of both student leadership organizations. FBLA and FCCLA team members have the opportunity to compete for cash prizes, trophies, and other honors.

LifeSmarts is active in all states and the District of Columbia, where NCL is headquartered.

“We are proud of the impact LifeSmarts has made in its 25 years of educating teens, and we are excited to continue to grow the LifeSmarts program, to educate students about financial literacy, and to create a new generation of savvy, market-ready consumers and workers,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “Too often traditional high school curriculum fails to teach students vital information that will be crucial once students go to college, get their first job, or move out of their parents’ house.”

In addition to hosting the official LifeSmarts competition, LifeSmarts.org provides resources for educators to supplement existing lesson plans. These include daily quizzes, educational videos, social media competitions, focused study guides, and scholarship opportunities. LifeSmarts lessons closely align with courses taught in family and consumer sciences, business, technology, health, and vocational education. Math and English teachers have also had success with LifeSmarts, as have homeschool and community educators.

Major LifeSmarts contributors include: Johnson & Johnson, Underwriters Laboratories, Western Union, Comcast NBC Universal, Experian, Intuit, American Express Company, Microsoft, and others.

Visit LifeSmarts.org for more information.

LifeSmarts: Learn it. Live it.

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About LifeSmarts

LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. State coordinators run the programs on a volunteer basis. For more information, visit: LifeSmarts.org, email lifesmarts@nclnet.org, or call the National Consumers League’s communications department at (202) 835-3323.

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

 

 

NCL statement on FDA’s draft rule to publicize the identity of food retail consignees following Class I recall

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September 26, 2018

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League commends Commissioner Scott Gottleib, MD, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for releasing a draft rule on September 26, 2018, that would publicize the names and locations of food retail consignee (i.e., establishment) that have issued a recall due to a food safety risk or the confirmed presence of a food contaminant. Previously, FDA has worked with companies to identify the specific contaminated product or brand, but has refrained from publicizing food distribution or retail information such as store names and locations due to commercial confidentiality concerns. Today’s move represents a step forward for consumers, removing the information burden previously placed onto consumers wishing to protect themselves and their families from contaminated food.

While the rule represents a good first step, NCL believes the FDA could go further in what the rule will cover. For instance, FDA should publicize the retail establishments for all recalls, not only Class I (serious injury or death), as the rule is currently written. The other two classes of recalls, Class II (serious injury or temporary illness), and Class III (unlikely to cause illness or injury but violate federal rules), should also be included in this rule. Further, FDA should include restaurants in the types of retail consignees covered in the draft rule. Currently, it covers grocery stores, pet food stores, and convenience stores that can receive orders in store or online, as well as direct delivery or third-party delivery service.

NCL commends FDA for this effort. The draft rule is open to public comments for 60 days, after which the Administration will evaluate consumer and retailer feedback, issuing proposed guidance.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

FAA reauthorization bill is a missed opportunity to address add-on fees

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September 22, 2018

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (NCL), America’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, today expressed disappointment about the lack of any language addressing anticompetitive add-on fees in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization conference bill released by Congress early this morning.

The following statement is attributable to NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

“The airlines’ outrageous $200 change and cancellation fees are but one egregious example of the fees and penalties that line the industry’s pockets while costing flyers billions of dollars every year. While there are some things that will benefit consumers in the FAA reauthorization bill, the glaring lack of the bipartisan FAIR Fees Act language is a missed opportunity for Congress to get a handle on the rampant growth of anti-competitive ancillary fees that result in so much consumer aggravation. The airlines’ tone-deafness in this area — witness American, Delta, United, and JetBlue all raising bag fees to $30 per bag within weeks of one another this summer — should make it obvious that they will continue to raise fees with impunity until Congress steps in.

We applaud the efforts of a bipartisan group of members of Congress, particularly Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN9), and Representative Walter Jones (R-NC3), who worked diligently, albeit unsuccessfully, to get the FAIR Fees Act language included in the final conference agreement.

While this is a setback for the flying public, NCL will continue to work with consumer champions in Congress and elsewhere to raise awareness of the costs of airline nickel-and-diming on flyers, competition, and airport investment. This is not an issue that is going to go away. The airlines should expect that NCL and our allies will continue to highlight the industry’s mistreatment of their customers at every turn.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

LifeSmarts launches 25th anniversary season of consumer literacy education, competition, scholarship opportunities – National Consumers League

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September 17, 2018

1.5 million students have gained real-world knowledge through the program

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832 

Washington, DC–Today marks the official launch of the 25th season of LifeSmarts, with a new competition going live at the online home of the program, LifeSmarts.org. LifeSmarts, a program of the National Consumers League (NCL), is a national scholarship competition and educational program for middle-school and high-school students that tests knowledge of real-life consumer issues and aims to create a future generation of consumer-savvy adults.

“We are very excited to launch our 25th season of LifeSmarts,” said national Program Director Lisa Hertzberg. “For 25 years, LifeSmarts has given students the skills they need to succeed as adults. We’ve seen more than 1.5 million students gain knowledge, confidence, leadership capabilities, and team-building skills. The competition is fun, and the impact of LifeSmarts is lifelong.”

LifeSmarts focuses on five main content areas: consumer rights and responsibilities, personal finance, technology, health and safety, and the environment. Students are quizzed on their knowledge of these subject areas during online competition. Top-performing teams then advance to statewide competitions, and state champion teams advance to the national championship held each year in a different American city. The 2019 National LifeSmarts Championship will take place April 13-16 in Orlando, Florida. Winning team members receive scholarships and other prizes.

Last year, students answered more than 3.5 million consumer questions about credit reports, recycling, nutrition, social media, state lemon laws, and everything in between. By being consumer savvy and quick on the buzzers, the LifeSmarts team from Dallas High School in Dallas, PA, took home top honors at the 24th annual national event in San Diego. Dallas High was a returning champion, taking home the national title three years in a row.

In addition to online, state, and national competitions, LifeSmarts recognition and awards occur throughout the program year:

  • Teams of students vie for cash prizes in the online TeamSmarts quiz, which focuses on a specific LifeSmarts content area each month from September through January.
  • Classroom mentor programs: Five $1,000 scholarships are awarded each winter to winning LifeSmarts students who become Safety Smart Ambassadors, using LifeSmarts content to present safety messages to younger children in their communities.
  • Partnering with FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America), LifeSmarts offers special competitive events for student members of both student leadership organizations. FBLA and FCCLA team members have the opportunity to compete for cash prizes, trophies, and other honors.

LifeSmarts is active in all states and the District of Columbia, where NCL is headquartered.

“We are proud of the impact LifeSmarts has made in its 25 years of educating teens, and we are excited to continue to grow the LifeSmarts program, to educate students about financial literacy, and to create a new generation of savvy, market-ready consumers and workers,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “Too often traditional high school curriculum fails to teach students vital information that will be crucial once students go to college, get their first job, or move out of their parents’ house.”

In addition to hosting the official LifeSmarts competition, LifeSmarts.org provides resources for educators to supplement existing lesson plans. These include daily quizzes, educational videos, social media competitions, focused study guides, and scholarship opportunities. LifeSmarts lessons closely align with courses taught in family and consumer sciences, business, technology, health, and vocational education. Math and English teachers have also had success with LifeSmarts, as have homeschool and community educators.

Major LifeSmarts contributors include: Johnson & Johnson, Underwriters Laboratories, Western Union, Comcast NBC Universal, Experian, Intuit, American Express Company, Microsoft, and others.

Visit LifeSmarts.org for more information.

LifeSmarts: Learn it. Live it.

###

About LifeSmarts

LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. State coordinators run the programs on a volunteer basis. For more information, visit: LifeSmarts.org, email lifesmarts@nclnet.org, or call the National Consumers League’s communications department at 202-835-3323.

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Privatized foreign systems continue to fall further behind the U.S.

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September 12, 2018

Contact: National Consumers League; John Breyault: (202) 207-2819

Alliance for Aviation Across America; Devin Osting: (202) 223-9523
Consumer Action; Linda Sherry: 202-544-3088
FlyersRights.Org; Paul Hudson: 410-940-8934
In The Public Interest; Donald Cohen: 202-429-5091

Washington, DC–With the busy summer travel period quickly transitioning towards the peak Fall/holiday rush, proponents of privatizing our nation’s air traffic control continue to promote the myth that privatized foreign systems work well.  They don’t.  See below for the real facts on foreign privatized systems, which have been plagued with delays, technological glitches and have not kept pace with modernization:

European air traffic control providers are plagued by massive delays and cancellations

  • According to a recent AP article, “the leading trade group for global airlines is criticizing air traffic control agencies in Europe for seeking ‘super-normal profits’ instead of investing to improve performance at a time when air travelers are facing longer waits.” (Washington Times, July 18, 2018)
  • Specifically, according the International Air Transportation Association (IATA), privatized and non-privatized air navigation service providers (ANSPs) across Europe are experiencing increased delays. In fact, “in the first half of 2018, air traffic management delays more than doubled to 47,000 minutes per day, 133% more than in the same period last year.” (IATA Press Release No. 42, July 18, 2018)  
  • Yet at the same time, “the largest service providers have either under-invested in staff or use outdated employment practices which don’t deploy staff when and where they’re most needed, resulting in unnecessary delays for passengers.  Many European ANSPs have also failed to make planned technology investments intended to increase capacity.” (IATA Press Release No. 42, July 18, 2018) 
  • For example, across Europe, Ryanair was forced to cancel 1,100 flights in June 2018, “due to air traffic control strikes and staff shortages in the U.K., Germany, and France.” Chief marketing officer, Kenny Jacob said: “Regrettably, over 210,000 Ryanair customers had their flights cancelled in June because of four weekends of ATC (air traffic control) strikes and repeated U.K., German and French ATC staff shortages.” (The Independent, July 3, 2018)  

Canada’s privatized air traffic control system has been plagued with delays, staffing shortages and is still investing in radar technology

  • Air Canada, the flag carrier and largest airline in Canada, recently was ranked last in on-time performance out of 72 global airlines that are tracked by AirHelp, a consumer advocacy group. (AirHelp, 2018) 
  • In July 2018, more than 22% of flights at Canada’s nine busiest airports were delayed, with an average delay of more than 52 minutes according to FlightStats. (FlightStats, July 2018)
  • Total air travel complaints in Canada skyrocketed in recent years. According to the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), over the past five years total complaints have increased almost tenfold, reaching more than 5,000 complaints in 2017-2018. (CBC News, July 26, 2018)
  • Canada is in the midst of a staffing crisis as well. According to a study by the Canadian Council for Aviation and Aerospace (CCAA), Canada will need 2,000 new air traffic controllers between 2017 and 2025. (CCAA Labour Market Information Report, March 2018) 
  • A Nav Canada senior official has admitted that staffing shortages are having an impact and that the problem is most acutely felt at the largest airports, where staff is stretched. “There are always [staffing] challenges throughout Canada, especially when we get into the four majors–Montreal, Pearson, Calgary International and Vancouver International…So if we have a number of retirements, or we have someone go off sick, we can get into situations where we’ll have a reduced number of controllers.” (Skies Magazine, June 29, 2018)
  • These staffing issues also extend to airline baggage handlers. At Trudeau International Airport, Air Canada passengers report that suitcases are routinely lost. One passenger said that Air Canada had lost her luggage twice in the past month. While another passenger said, “You feel helpless, because they have your belongings, and I feel like a coat check at any restaurant does a better job of security than what Air Canada has done with these bags.” Air Canada even acknowledges the staffing issue, “An Air Canada employee at the airport told CBC there’s just not enough staff to deal with the backlog.” (CBC News, August 20, 2018) But to passenger rights activist Gábor Lukács, staff shortages are no excuse for lost luggage, and according to Lukács, airlines have “a legal obligation to transport the bag with the passenger ­– to make sure the bag is available when the passenger arrives.” (CBC News, August 26, 2018)
  • Additionally, Air Canada has said that 20,000 mobile app users may have been affected by a data breach between August 22nd and August 24th. Information that may have been accessed includes name and contact information, personal information like passport and NEXUS card numbers (which is for expedited processing when entering the U.S. or Canada), gender, birth date, nationality, and financial information like credit card numbers. (Global News, August 29, 2018)
  • Moreover, Nav Canada continues to depend on and invest in ground-based radar. In 2017, Nav Canada announced that the replacement process will take 10 years, and that “over the course of the next 10 years a massive radar replacement project will take place across the country. It’s the largest capital project NAV CANADA has ever undertaken at a cost of $159 million.” (Nav Canada Blog, Oct. 20, 2017)
  • Earlier this year, Sunwing Airlines had at least five flights that were delayed for roughly 24 hours out of Toronto’s Pearson Airport, during which passengers were unable to access their baggage, cutting them off from clothing or medication. (CityNews, Apr. 16, 2018) After receiving 89 complaints involving 23 flights, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) launched an investigation of Sunwing Airlines. (CBC News, Apr. 26, 2018) 

UK NATS, the UK’s privatized air traffic control provider, has been plagued by flight delays and outdated technology

  • The UK’s privatized air traffic control provider, NATS, faces constant delays. According to data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), flights at the top airports in the U.K. left an average of 15 minutes late in 2017. The Airport Operators Association said that “outdated” airspace infrastructure limits the efficiency of flights. (BBC, May 21, 2018)  
  • In the NATS 2018 annual report, CEO Martin Rolfe stated that “our airspace structures have not changed significantly over the past 50 years and will not accommodate the forecast growth in traffic and airport infrastructure, including a new runway at Heathrow, without causing unacceptable air traffic delays to the travelling public.” (NATS, 2018)  
  • According to Which? Travel, a consumer advocacy website, airlines are “padding” their schedules to say they’ve improved their on-time performance. As a result, scheduled flight times across Europe are up to 35 minutes slower this summer than they were 10 years ago. Despite padding their schedules, British Airways, Easyjet, and RyanAir were still less punctual last year than in 2009. (Which? Travel, August 27, 2018) Rory Boland, from Which? Travel, told The Mirror, “longer scheduled flight times are likely to mean passengers spend more time sitting around at the gate or on the plane itself, just so the airline can pat itself on the back for being ‘on time’ at your destination. Conveniently, it could also reduce the number of instances when an airline has to pay you compensation for a flight delay.” (The Mirror, August 27, 2018)
  • Heathrow Airport just last month experienced an airline IT glitch and a temporary closure of Heathrow’s air traffic control tower. (Sky News, July 19, 2018) While the air traffic control tower was closed, take-offs and landings were stopped, and between the two incidents, hundreds of flights were delayed and some departures were cancelled. This ultimately affected 10,000 passengers, including around 3,000 British Airways passengers stranded overnight abroad. (The Independent, July 19, 2018)
  • These issues have persisted throughout the UK’s system – according to The Independent, citing a CAA report, “high levels of sickness, unplanned retirements, and staff reluctant to work overtime all contributed to the disarray” of the air traffic control system in the UK. (The Independent, Aug. 4, 2017)  
  • In addition, NATS has stated that a “massive” program of modernization is needed to keep up with demand for air travel. According to a NATS official, “We are going to have to redesign our airspace and we are going to need government support to make sure we can do that in the right way.” (BBC, June 30, 2017)
  • Staffing issues also continue to plague Gatwick Airport, the second busiest airport in Britain, where air traffic control is managed by ANS, a British subsidiary of the German company DFS Group. (Daily Mail, April 8, 2018) 
  • UK passengers are becoming more and more unhappy when it comes to flying. The CAA’s August 2018 UK Aviation Consumer Survey found that only 39% of respondents agree that “the experience of travelling by air is getting better.” (UK Aviation Consumer Survey, August 2018, p. 7) Additionally, overall satisfaction with respondents’ last flights has declined from 90% in March 2016 to 83% as of April 2018. (UK Aviation Consumer Survey, August 2018, p. 31) While in the same time-frame, the passenger experience with airports has also gotten worse; respondents’ satisfaction with each part of the “airport experience” has declined over the last two years. (UK Aviation Consumer Survey, August 2018, p. 40)
  • After a late-night landing due to delayed flights, Ryanair passengers were forced to wait hours at Stansted Airport to retrieve their baggage. Ryanair attributed the flight disruptions to air traffic control delays and bad weather and said the baggage delays occurred because, “Some flights are arriving much later than planned – especially at night – which has stretched available resources beyond normal shift timings.” In some cases, passengers were forced to wait up to five hours. (BBC News, August 12, 2018)
  • This isn’t an isolated incident either. About two weeks later, baggage delays at Manchester Airport caused “chaos” according to one passenger quoted by BBC News. The cause for the delay was a fire alarm, which forced an evacuation of the terminal and overextended the overnight Swissport staff of baggage handlers. Passengers vented their frustration, saying the airport told them nothing, with one passenger saying he’d been calling the airport and Swissport, the baggage handler, since 9 am and no one was answering the phone. (BBC News, August 25, 2018)
  • Gatwick Airport, the second-busiest airport, experienced what The Independent described as “chaos” after departure screens went out due to an IT issue on “one of the busiest days of the summer.” Airport staff was forced to use “temporary flight boards” which were literally whiteboards with information written on them while staff made announcements about gates. This led to many flights departing late, with some flights leaving over an hour late. (The Independent, August 20, 2018)

The source of U.S. airline delays and travel woes have nothing to do with air traffic control

  • According to data by the U.S. Department of Transportation, it’s factors within the airlines’ control, including mechanical, staffing, volume and scheduling issues, more than weather and ATC, that were responsible for the majority of delays in 2017. (Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics) These delays are getting worse, with over 19% of flights delayed in 2017, which is 3.5% higher than the prior year. (Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics)
  • Not only do the airlines make little effort to manage day-of flight operations, but very frequently they are responsible for IT glitches that cause system-wide delays. A recent news report from the Washington Post highlighted that technology-related meltdowns and outages among domestic airlines has “risen unevenly during the past decade.” (Washington Post, Jan. 11, 2018) 
  • One airline executive at Frontier recently said, “we don’t necessarily believe that it’s cost-effective to end up in the top quartile for on-time performance.” (The American Prospect, Nov. 3, 2017) 
  • At an off-the-record crew forum, American Airlines President Robert Isom acknowledged that they’ve had “a really rough summer” dropping to 15th in on-time performance for North America. Isom identified a few reasons for American’s drop in on-time performance, including an older fleet of aircraft and even the degrading performance of newer aircraft. (View From The Wing, August 14, 2018)
  • In fact, the airlines and the companies they rely on to administer their technological systems were responsible for 12 massive glitches causing system-wide delays in 2017. (Quartz)
  • In June, PSA Airlines, a regional carrier of American Airlines, was forced to cancel about 3,000 flights after a computer problem occurred within PSA Airlines crew scheduling program. Of the canceled flights, 2,500 were through the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. (Charlotte Observer, June 28, 2018)
  • A little more than a month later, all American Airlines flights were grounded for about 40 minutes by another glitch. On the same day, but unrelated to the American Airlines glitch, Delta, United, and Alaska Airlines had more than a thousand flights delayed by a system outage at SkyWest. According to the Daily Mail, “Some 1,106 SkyWest flights were delayed along with 686 American Airlines flights due to their respective malfunctions.” (Daily Mail, July 30, 2018)
  • Airline consolidation compounds the issue. According to Jack Vonder Heider, president of Technology Briefing Centers, “Carriers that have been through multiple mergers are most likely to suffer an IT outage. This is due to the patchwork of systems, components and staffing that is prone to error.” (The Washington Post, Jan. 11, 2018) 
  • Bob Edwards, former chief information officer of United Airlines has said, “when fuel prices are low and there’s extra cash on hand, they want to spend it on the cool shiny things like planes and mobile apps…Nobody gets excited about the data center.” (Reuters, Aug. 12, 2016)
  • Airlines in the United States fail to make adequate investments into their own IT infrastructure, despite collecting $7.5 billion in baggage and reservation change fees in 2017. (Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics) 

The examples go on and on…

  • In July of 2016, a single failed router forced Southwest Airlines to cancel 2,300 flights over four days. (The Wall Street Journal, Mar. 17, 2017) 
  • United Airlines experienced almost back-to-back delays toward the end of January and early February of 2017. First a computer failure delayed 481 flights in one day. (Bloomberg, Jan. 23, 2017) While two weeks later, United experienced a system-wide computer problem that “slowed down the creation of flight plans for airline crews and employees,” and delayed hundreds of flights at airports across the country. (Chicago Tribune, Feb. 8, 2017)   
  • In August 2017, a “network issue” with SkyWest led to hundreds of Delta, American, United, and Alaska Airlines flights being delayed and 62 flights being cancelled. (Quartz)
  • In November 2017, American Airlines experienced a glitch in its internal computer system that allowed thousands of pilots to be granted time off and created uncertainty as to whether there would be flight crews for more than 15,000 American flights scheduled between Dec. 17 and Dec. 31. (CBS News, Nov. 30, 2017)  

As has been demonstrated over and over, privatization of air traffic control would not do anything to lessen delays and travel woes for passengers as the causes of these delays have nothing to do with ATC. The simple truth is that bad policy proposals are nothing more than beating a dead horse and will never get better with age. ATC privatization has been repeatedly debated, discredited and defeated by bipartisan majorities for years. This terrible scheme needs to be abandoned once and for all to make way for genuine air travel reforms that will provide positive benefits for the traveling public and all communities across the country.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

FAIR Fees Act coalition letter – National Consumers League

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September 12, 2018

The Honorable John Thune
Chairman, Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation

The Honorable Bill Shuster
Chairman, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

The Honorable Bill Nelson
Ranking Member, Committee on Commerce Science & Transportation

The Honorable Peter DeFazio
Ranking Member, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Re: Consumer groups’ support for inclusion of the FAIR Fees Act and other consumer protection provisions in the FAA Reauthorization Act conference agreement

Dear Chairman Thune, Ranking Member Nelson, Chairman Shuster, and Ranking Member DeFazio:

The undersigned eight consumer advocacy organizations urge you to support the bipartisan FAIR Fees Act amendment that was included in S.1405, the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017,[1] as well as additional consumer protection language in any FAA Reauthorization Act conference agreement.

The FAIR Fees Act language in the bill is a compromise provision that would require change and cancellation fees to be reasonable and bear a relation to the actual cost to provide the service. The Department of Transportation (DOT) would also be charged with developing fair standards for assessing the reasonableness of other ancillary fees.

Both the House and Senate FAA reauthorization bills include a number of pro-consumer protections that we strongly support. We are writing this separate letter to bring special attention to our strong support for the inclusion of the FAIR Fees Act compromise as a key part of our support for the FAA reauthorization bill.

For years, consumers have had to endure the airlines’ imposition of fee after fee for services like seat reservations, checked bags, and ticket changes that used to be included in the basic cost of flying. Airlines often claim that the unbundling of fees for these services has reduced the cost of flying. However, it does not take an economist to spot that airlines’ rapidly increasing fees far outpace both the rate of inflation and the cost to provide the service.

Last week, for example, both JetBlue and United raised their checked baggage fees yet again.[2] And based on experience, it is likely that other airlines will soon match this increase. Even before the recent fee hikes, statistical analysis had determined that the cost of flying is increasing. The Associated Press has found that base fares, adjusted for inflation, have increased by 5% since 2010.[3] Likewise, the Government Accountability Office has found that the cost of flying has increased, once fees for checked baggage are included.[4] Instead of reducing the cost of flying as the airline industry frequently claims, the proliferation of confusing and punitive fees has forced consumers to become travel experts in order to successfully navigate the modern aviation marketplace without being penalized.

Flight change and cancellation fees, in particular, can be very punitive in nature since consumers cannot plan for unexpected events that force them to change their travel plans. In spite of the often-unavoidable nature of needing to change travel plans, the three major legacy airlines – but not Southwest – charge a per-ticket fee from $200 to as much as $750 for an international flight to change a reservation, even if they are then able to resell the ticket for a higher price than that for which it was originally purchased.[5] While testifying before a US Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation subcommittee, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby admitted that the $2.9 billion annual income from change fees is “not a direct cost when somebody changes,” but rather that those fees are simply another revenue generator.[6] Contrary to industry claims that the FAIR Fees Act amounts to re-regulation of the airlines, requiring that fees bear a reasonable relation to the cost to provide the service will prevent price gouging by the airlines, which is entirely in keeping with the DOT’s legal mandate to “protect consumers from unfair or deceptive practices or unfair methods of competition” in commercial aviation.

In addition to the FAIR Fees Act language, both the House and Senate FAA reauthorization bills include many pro-consumer protections that we believe should also be included in a conference agreement. In the House bill,[8] these are among the provisions our organizations support:

  • 412 & Sec. 413 – Improving transparency and oversight for air ambulance charges
  • 541 – Ensuring safe minimum seat dimensions

Unfortunately, the House bill also includes the Transparent Airfares Act (Sec. 405), which would weaken much-needed fare and fee transparency requirements. Our groups strongly oppose the inclusion of this language in the final conference agreement.

In the Senate bill,[9] these are among the provisions our organizations support:

  • 3108 – Improving fee transparency
  • 3127 (as revised in S. 3183)[10] – Ensuring transparency and other protection for consumers wherever they purchase tickets

We do not support Sec. 3121 of the Senate bill, which would direct the DOT to study minimum seat pitch, and is significantly weaker than Sec. 541 of the House bill.

For these reasons, the undersigned consumer advocacy organizations strongly urge you to keep the bipartisan FAIR Fees Act amendment and the above-mentioned consumer protection provisions in the conference agreement to the FAA Reauthorization Act.

Sincerely,

National Consumers League
Business Travel Coalition
Consumer Action
Consumer Federation of America
Consumers Union
FlyersRights.org
Travelers United
U.S. PIRG

CC:       Members of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives

 

[1] § 3129. “Regulations prohibiting the imposition of fees that are not reasonable and proportional to the costs incurred. This section” Online: https://www.congress.gov/115/crpt/srpt243/CRPT-115srpt243.pdf

[2] Martin, Grant. “United Airlines Increases Baggage Fees In Step With JetBlue, Air Canada And WestJet.” Forbes Magazine. September 1, 2018. Online: https://www.forbes.com/sites/grantmartin/2018/09/01/united-airlines-increases-baggage-fees-in-step-with-jetblue-air-canada-and-westjet/#411a10f950ed

[3] Mayerowitz, Scott and Koenig, David. “U.S. airports increasingly dominated by 1 or 2 carriers.” USA Today. July 15, 2015. Online:  https://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2015/07/15/us-airports-increasingly-dominated-by-1-or-2-carriers/30152927/

[4] Government Accountability Office. “Commercial aviation: Information on airline fees for optional services” September 2017. Online: https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/687258.pdf

[5] American Airlines. “Optional service fees.” July 17, 2018. Online. https://www.aa.com/i18n/customer-service/support/optional-service-fees.jsp

[6] Senate Commerce Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation, Operations, Safety and Security. “Questions, answers and perspectives in the current state of airline travel. May 4, 2017. 01:28:55-01:33:48. Online: https://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings?ID=C3586801-EFA9-493C-B3FB-74779C0AC3D2

[7] 49 U.S. Code § 41712

[8] FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. H.R. 4. 115th Cong. (2018).

[9] Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017. S. 1405. 115th Cong. (2017).

[10] Air Travel Ticketing Transparency and Protection Act, ,S. 3183, 115th Cong. (2018).

Kosher labeling and the importance of independent food safety checks – National Consumers League

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Kosher food made headlines last week in the aftermath of a multi-state Salmonella outbreak that killed one person and sickened 17 others. Illnesses spanned September 25, 2017 to June 4, 2018 – a shockingly lengthy amount of time in the food safety world. The CDC is not taking any further action, and no products have been recalled.

The tainted brand, Empire Kosher chicken, issued a statement that read, in part, “We take food safety and the health of our consumers very seriously and any illness, even potentially linked to our products, is unacceptable. We continue to very aggressively work to ensure the quality and safety of our products.”

This statement piqued an interest – aggressive quality assurance and …Kosher? Even as an infrequent consumer of Kosher foods, I began to dig, and what I found surprised me: A study from Mintel estimated 21 percent of Americans eat Kosher foods, a market trend driven in large part by consumer confidence in food safety procedures in both the Kosher and Halal (i.e., religious) certification schemes. Further, Kosher certification systems have been described as a model for private agencies that audit food production and processing facilities globally.

But beyond the basics of religious doctrine, what are the specific benefits of Kosher certification, particularly in this day and age? What can the secular world learn from the largest religious labeling scheme in the world – one that appears on half of all packaged food products?

First, some basic terminology is necessary. Hundreds of hechsher (Hebrew: seal of approval) labeling schemes exist – including text in Hebrew or English, symbols, and even decorative logos. The labels serve to illustrate adherence to religious dietary laws by differentiating between meat, dairy, or neutral foods. They are also used to denote the utensils used for preparation, other production process, and even food service venues with specific kashrut-related needs. Generally, dairy foods have a small “D” or the word “dairy” next to the Kosher label, though meats usually do not have extra labels. Neutral foods, those that are neither meat nor dairy, include a P for Pareve.

Just as there are hundreds of Kosher labeling schemes, there are thousands of Kosher certification agencies, in fact, 1,400+ as of July 2018. The agencies span regional to international food systems and include specialty as well as Israeli-specific foods. However, agencies known as the “Big Four” certify over 80 percent of kosher food sold in the US: Orthodox Union (“OU,” designated by a U inside a circle), Organized Kashrut (“OK,” designated by a K inside a circle), Star-K Kosher Certification (a K inside a star), and Kosher Certification and Supervision (“KOF-K,” ). In any given secular grocery store, the most frequently seen symbols are OU and OK, respectively, the two biggest kosher certification agencies.

Above all else, the Kosher certification process enhances traceability – allowing consumers to know where their food was sourced, processed, packaged, and finally, distributed. Quite unlike federal regulatory food safety systems, Kosher labeling is notable for fulfilling consumers’ most desired traits in their food products: traceability and transparency. The lack of traceability, monitoring, and enforcement is a systemic problem in today’s global food system, and can easily be called the culprit in the lengthy process to identify the source of E. coli contamination in the recent Romaine lettuce outbreak.

The agency responsible for overseeing the Kosher certification process at Empire Kosher chicken was OU, .  But given that OU is a private, independent certification agency that oversees 1 million products at 8,500 processing plants, we can only expect pathogen risk to be reduced, not eliminated. If anything, the recent outbreak of Salmonella linked to Empire Kosher chicken ultimately shows the strength of Kosher labeling and safety regimes, given how few outbreaks have been linked to Kosher foods in the last decade. Moreso, it provides a much needed model for the federal government to modernize using systems-based approaches (i.e., from farm to fork) for all measures of food safety testing, public communication, and importantly, compliance.

While Kosher certified products do have a better safety record with less risk of being involved food safety outbreaks, even Kosher certification is not perfect, as we see from the Empire chicken outbreak. Clearly as this story shows, we have a lot of work to do to get our entire food system up to a level where all of us can be sure that we are safe from dangerous foodborne illness. 

NCL joins amicus brief to protect cy pres settlements – National Consumers League

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September 5, 2018

Media contact: National Consumers League – Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (412) 945-3242 or Taun Sterling, tauns@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—In advance of a scheduled October 31 United States Supreme Court hearing of Frank v. Gaos, the National Consumers League has joined with the Center for Democracy and Technology and the Electronic Frontier Foundation to file an amicus brief in support for the judicial practice of awarding cy pres grants to charities and nonprofits in class-action settlement.

The case to be heard by the court questions the following: Whether awarding the majority of the proceeds from a class action to charities and nonprofits (known as a cy pres award), with no direct relief to members of the class, is consistent with the requirement that a settlement binding class members be “fair, reasonable, and adequate.”

In the amicus brief filed today, the organizations argue that the cy pres doctrine does, in fact, ensure that awards benefit class members by aggregating cost-prohibitively small individual payments for the greater good and by promoting the interests of the class rather than the defendant. Contrary to petitioners’ claims, the advocates recognize that cy pres grants are a well-established legal precedent that allow proceeds from class-action awards that might otherwise revert to companies that wrong consumers to instead be put to use by organizations that further the public interest.

“Cy pres awards are a critical way to make sure industry is held accountable when consumers are wronged,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “In cases where individual class members’ payouts may not even exceed the price of a stamp, cy pres grants to advocacy organizations ensure that class-actions can continue to be a check on industry misdeeds.”

Read the brief here (PDF).

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Asbestos in America: New use could bring new problems

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Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, heart, and abdomen. More than 50,000 people have died from this disease and other asbestos-related conditions in the last decade, and about 3,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. To date, there is no known cure. Yet the Trump Administration is seeking to loosen asbestos regulations, despite the recent resurgence of asbestos exposure cases in the United States.

The most common type of mesothelioma (pleural) develops in the chest cavity and lungs and accounts for 85 percent of cases. Though asbestos is not immediately harmful when it is undisturbed, if an asbestos-containing material is broken, microscopic asbestos fibers can be released into the air. When inhaled, these fibers can become stuck in the lining of the lungs, creating scar tissue and leading to the development of mesothelioma tumors.

Asbestos is currently banned in 60+ countries, but it is still legal in the United States. Though regulations exist, and we are no longer exposed through items like fake snow or crock pots, regulations are not strict enough to stop all use or importation of goods containing asbestos. In fact, any material that contains less than one percent asbestos is not formally considered an “asbestos-containing material” by the Environmental Protection Agency. However, studies have shown that even small levels of asbestos exposure can be dangerous and may lead to life-threatening illnesses.  

Into this mix comes the Trump Administration’s EPA rules. On June 1 of this year, the EPA published a proposed regulation, the “Significant New Use Rule” (SNUR), which would loosen restrictions on certain chemicals, including asbestos. Those restrictions are written into the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which President Obama signed in 2016 as an amendment to the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA). The law made significant changes to how the EPA regulates chemicals in the U.S.

Pursuant to the law, on December 19, 2016, the EPA published a list of 10 chemicals it would evaluate to comply with the Lautenberg Act. As noted above, the list included asbestos. The SNUR, however, could make it possible to introduce new uses of asbestos. This is bad policy.

Mesothelioma and asbestos-related disease cases are increasing in age groups not typically associated with asbestos exposure. This is due in part to what scientists and medical professionals are calling a “third wave” of asbestos exposure which results from damaging asbestos that is already in place or coming into contact with contaminated products. Instances like this summer’s pipe burst in New York City are prime examples. The use of asbestos in older pipes and fittings continues to pose threats. In addition, asbestos also lurks at home and can be unexpectedly released during renovations.

In our view, the SNUR that EPA is proposing is dangerous. Asbestos exposure has been linked to illnesses and aggressive diseases like mesothelioma since the early 20th Century. Asbestos has historically been associated with industrial jobs like mining, manufacturing, construction, and shipbuilding, but asbestos could also be found in more than 3,000 consumer products when it was at the height of its use between 1930 and 1970. It is also the only known cause of mesothelioma which is a dangerous disease: prognosis and the life expectancy of patients usually range between one and two years. We should be working to reduce exposure to asbestos in every way possible, not loosen regulations allowing greater exposure.

NCL applauds groups such as the Mesothelioma + Asbestos Awareness Center that are working to fight the easing of restrictions on asbestos. The Trump EPA’s attack on health and safety regulations that are intended to reduce illness and disease is unwise. We hope voices of reason will prevail and result in pressure on the EPA to rescind the SNUR.

Public comments of the National Consumers League FDA’s Nutrition Innovation Strategy – National Consumers League

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August 31, 2018

Docket Number: FDA-2018-N-2381

Dockets and Management Staff (HFA-305)
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Lane, Rm 1061
Rockville, MD 20852

Executive Summary

The National Consumers League (NCL) commends the FDA for convening a public meeting on the Multi-Year Comprehensive Nutrition Innovation Strategy. The July 26, 2018 meeting was well-attended by both food industry leaders and consumer groups, serving as an informative first conversation about modernizing FDA processes in regulating production innovation and appropriate labeling.

At the meeting, NCL’s Food and Nutrition Policy Fellow, Haley Swartz, MPP, spoke about the League’s 100-year history in advocating for a safe, nutritious, and accurately represented food marketplace. NCL has been an active participant in food labeling regulation and litigation for over three decades. We have long worked with the FDA to ensure transparency on food labels, including mislabeling on:

  • “Fresh” canned tomatoes and pasta sauce (2009);
  • Artificially sweetened dried cranberries in cranberry juice (2009); and
  • Watered-down lemon juice (2012).

We work tirelessly alongside our colleagues in the National Alliance for Nutrition and Physical Activity to ensure that blatant forms of false food advertising are eliminated from the food marketplace. We also must thank the FDA for its continual willingness to consider innovative regulatory actions. As we approach new challenges in the context of changing consumer demands and rapidly evolving technology, we are thrilled to actively participate in dialogues between the food industry, regulators, and consumers.

In this document, we delve deeper into the issues Swartz raised in her speech. We list both our enthusiasm and concerns for several specific components of the Strategy.

Click here to read full comments (PDF).