With airlines continuing to face financial difficulty, the AFL-CIO's Transportation Trades Department asked for a forum in which government officials, unions and major airlines can talk privately. The talks will focus on the effects of deregulation on the industry and whether or not safety is being forfeited. Union officials stated that the airline industry needs to change in some way to meet changing situations. These talks represent a change in past attitudes towards the airline industry, which has been on its own in terms of cutting costs and dealing with safety standards.
See "Unions prod Obama to fix ailing airline industry", Joan Lowy, The Seattle Times, November 11, 2009