WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The White House threatened Tuesday to veto legislation that would reverse the Bush administration's decision to impose contract terms on the nation's 14,500 unionized air traffic controllers.
The move put pressure on congressional Republicans not to follow one of their own, Ohio Rep. Steven LaTourette, who has proposed a measure that would send disputed aspects of the contract to binding arbitration.
LaTourette's bill would change the law that permitted FAA Administrator Marion Blakey to impose contract terms after Congress opted not to intervene in the dispute during a 60-day review that ended Monday.
The unusual FAA action formally ended 10 months of contentious bargaining, including mediation. It also pushed relations between the agency and its biggest union to their most contentious point since 1981 when thousands of controllers were fired for ignoring a White House back-to-work order by President Ronald Reagan.
Federal law prohibits air traffic controllers from striking and the union, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, has not threatened any job action.
A vote on LaTourette's bill is expected in the House on Wednesday. Leaders of that chamber are requiring a two-thirds majority for passage. There is no companion proposal in the Senate, which could opt for simple majority if it decides to take up the matter.
In a statement of policy on the legislation, the White House said Tuesday congressional intervention could stall planned savings in the contract and increase pressure on the federal budget deficit.
Senior Bush administration budget advisers said they would recommend Bush veto the bill if Congress sends it to him. Bush has never vetoed a bill. A two-thirds vote by both houses is needed to override a presidential veto.
The contract to be phased in by the FAA would cut pay up to 30 percent for new hires, slow pay increases for current controllers, and rewrite work rules the agency said were costing it too much money.
The FAA says the contract will save it nearly $2 billion over five years. The controllers said their proposal would have saved about $500 million less.
Airlines back the FAA stance. They hope contract terms will enable the air traffic system to be modernized more quickly, which carriers hope will enable them to carry more people.