Results 1 to 2 of 2

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    7,928

    Rule Change Favors Unions at Airlines, Railroads

    Rule Change Favors Unions at Airlines, Railroads

    Monday, 10 May 2010 10:07 AM

    Labor unions will have an easier time organizing workers at U.S. airline and railroad companies after the Obama administration on Monday changed a 76-year-old rule on union elections.

    The change is a major victory for unions that have struggled to reverse years of decline in membership. And it's the most significant so far in a string of White House moves designed to boost organized labor.

    The new rule, announced by the three-member National Mediation Board, would recognize a union if a simple majority of workers who cast ballots approve organizing. The previous rule required a majority of the entire work force to favor unionizing. That meant workers choosing not to vote at all were effectively treated as "no" votes.

    The most immediate impact of the change would be at Delta Air Lines, where unions are trying to organize about 20,000 flight attendants. Unions are also expected to target workers at smaller carriers, including Allegiant Air, JetBlue Airways, Republic Airways and SkyWest.

    Airlines that fought the change say it will lead to more labor disputes that could disrupt commerce and increase delays in an industry already reeling from recession, higher fuel costs and stepped-up security hassles.

    The Air Transport Association, which represents most major airlines, is expected to file a lawsuit challenging the new rule.

    Proponents of the change say the old rule ran contrary to democratic standards where the outcome of an election is determined by the majority of those who vote. The change puts the airline and railroad industries under the same procedures as most other companies, which are overseen by the National Labor Relations Board.

    The board proposed the rule change in October, after a request from the AFL-CIO. That request came soon after President Barack Obama named Linda Puchala — the former head of a flight attendant union — to a seat on the board, shifting the balance of power.

    The final rule was approved 2-1, with chairwoman Elizabeth Dougherty issuing a fierce dissent. Dougherty, who was appointed by president George W. Bush, said the change is "an unprecedented departure for the NMB and represents the most dramatic policy shift in the history of the agency."

    Airlines and railroads employ more than 500,000 workers, and about two-thirds of those are already in unions. That's much higher than the overall union membership rate of 12 percent.

    But one exception to the higher rate is at Delta, where only about 15 percent of workers were union members before the carrier merged two years ago with heavily unionized Northwest Airlines. Unions representing flight attendants and ground workers who worked for Northwest want the new rules to cover elections at the combined carrier.

    http://www.newsmax.com/US/US-Union-Orga ... /id/358518

    Source: The Associated Press
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  2. #2
    Super Moderator Newmexican's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Heart of Dixie
    Posts
    36,012
    Welcome to the Unionized Republic of Greece.
    Support our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & Amnesty by joining our E-mail Alerts at https://eepurl.com/cktGTn

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •