Airlines, unions pin hopes for more payroll cash on politics

With tens of thousands of airline workers facing layoffs this fall, labor groups are pushing Congress for more federal money to keep them on the payroll until next spring. The unions have gained significant support among Democrats. They hope that the prospect of mass layoffs weeks before a pivotal election will sway some Republican votes. The airline industry has been battered by the virus pandemic. In March, companies got $32 billion to help…