NMB and Legal News
RAILWAY LABOR ACT
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| The National Mediation Board has proposed a more fair and democratic process for union elections!! |
| Winging It: Proposed rule would ease airline unionization by Tom Belden/Philadelphia Business Today November 16, 2009 |
| Click on story title to read complete article. |
| “The current election procedures are inherently undemocratic.” American Airlines Pilot's Union Allied Pilots Association, in favor of voting change at NMB. November 9, 2009 |
| Proposal Aims to Ease Unionizing at Airlines and Railroads The Associated Press November 2, 2009 |
| Non-Voters by Tula Connell / AFL-CIO November 6, 2009 |
| Click on NMB seal to left to be directed to their website. |
| Viewpoint: Revised election rule would restore democracy for air, rail workers by John Remington/Worday Minnesota November 22, 2009 |
| Airline unions call for fair election rules By Barb Kucera, Workday editor 7 December 2009 |
| NMB Hears Arguments On Union Election Law by Jennifer Michels --AviationWeek.com December 7, 2009 |
| Sign the petition to the NMB below: PLEASE FILL OUT YOUR INFORMATION TO SEND THE PETITION BELOW TO THE NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD. PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL CLOSE SOON AND WE NEED AS MANY SIGNATURES AS POSSIBLE TO FORWARD TO THE NMB IN SUPPORT OF THE CHANGES TO THE VOTING PROCESS. THE CHANGES WILL BRING YES/NO BALLOTS TO UNION VOTES AND WILL NOT COUNT BALLOTS THAT ARE NOT CAST! THOSE WHO CHOOSE NOT TO VOTE SHOULDN'T AUTOMATICALLY BE COUNTED AS A NO VOTE!! FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW AND CLICK ON "SEND PETITION" TO FORWARD YOUR COMMENTS AND SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED VOTING CHANGES. |
The Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, which
represents workers in every industry covered by the Railway Labor
Act, has filed a petition with the National Mediation Board to amend
the procedural manual to require a “Yes or No” ballot in
representation elections – the procedure in every other election in
America.
This is good news for all airline employees wanting union
representation because airline employees have been subjected to
the strictest election rules in the country. Currently in the airline
industry, under the NMB, all eligible employees start out as a NO
VOTE. This means that every employee is considered a NO VOTE
unless they override it with a YES. During NMB elections employees
who wish to "Sit Out" the vote are actually considered NO.
The Board will review the TTD petition and give its decision. They will
provide a timetable to resolve the ballot question. It is expected that
there will be the normal period for public and corporate comment
following the Board's initial response regarding the TTD petition.
We expect that American Airlines management will jump on the
bandwagon with Delta Airlines and others, including a list of anti-
employee Senators and other political figures to fight the procedure
manual change. NMB elections are the only elections in the country
that are handled this way. If all political elections were held in the
same manner as NMB elections are, it would mean that nobody would
be elected to office if at least 50% + 1 registered voter voted in any
election.
The current procedures for NMB elections were put into place back in
the 20's when rail was the jurisdiction of the Railway Labor Act. The
board can act alone to change the rule and bring it current with all
other union elections. For over 70 years NMB elections have required
that a union gain more than 50% support of ALL eligible members,
including those who don't vote.
Many companies have taken advantage of the "50% +1" rule by
padding the eligibility lists of employees who no longer work for the
company. This happened in our last election in 1998.
Airline management and anti-union political figures want the
procedure to stay the same because they know how hard it is to win
a union election in the transportation industry. The question to ask
any management person who tries to convince you that the current
procedure is the only way to vote would be: "How about if we keep
the current way of voting but let's have everyone start out as a YES
vote instead of a NO, and only those who don't want the union should
vote to cancel out the YES"? Of course their answer would be NO,
even though the actual procedure would be the same.
represents workers in every industry covered by the Railway Labor
Act, has filed a petition with the National Mediation Board to amend
the procedural manual to require a “Yes or No” ballot in
representation elections – the procedure in every other election in
America.
This is good news for all airline employees wanting union
representation because airline employees have been subjected to
the strictest election rules in the country. Currently in the airline
industry, under the NMB, all eligible employees start out as a NO
VOTE. This means that every employee is considered a NO VOTE
unless they override it with a YES. During NMB elections employees
who wish to "Sit Out" the vote are actually considered NO.
The Board will review the TTD petition and give its decision. They will
provide a timetable to resolve the ballot question. It is expected that
there will be the normal period for public and corporate comment
following the Board's initial response regarding the TTD petition.
We expect that American Airlines management will jump on the
bandwagon with Delta Airlines and others, including a list of anti-
employee Senators and other political figures to fight the procedure
manual change. NMB elections are the only elections in the country
that are handled this way. If all political elections were held in the
same manner as NMB elections are, it would mean that nobody would
be elected to office if at least 50% + 1 registered voter voted in any
election.
The current procedures for NMB elections were put into place back in
the 20's when rail was the jurisdiction of the Railway Labor Act. The
board can act alone to change the rule and bring it current with all
other union elections. For over 70 years NMB elections have required
that a union gain more than 50% support of ALL eligible members,
including those who don't vote.
Many companies have taken advantage of the "50% +1" rule by
padding the eligibility lists of employees who no longer work for the
company. This happened in our last election in 1998.
Airline management and anti-union political figures want the
procedure to stay the same because they know how hard it is to win
a union election in the transportation industry. The question to ask
any management person who tries to convince you that the current
procedure is the only way to vote would be: "How about if we keep
the current way of voting but let's have everyone start out as a YES
vote instead of a NO, and only those who don't want the union should
vote to cancel out the YES"? Of course their answer would be NO,
even though the actual procedure would be the same.
| Procedural Manual Change Requested at the National Mediation Board. |
Georgia GOP battles airline unions by Bob Keefe / Atlanta Journal-Constitution January 8, 2010 |
| 30 GOP House Members think voting for a union should be different then voting for them!! |
The undersigned are officers of the Association of Passenger Service Agents/CWA Local 6001,
and we would like to add our voices, and the voices of the agents on the attached petitions, to
those who have already spoken on the proposed changes in voting procedures to the RLA under
docket number C-6964.
Under the RLA, carriers are supposed to remain neutral during a campaign for representation.
However, they do not do so. You heard from Delta Flight Attendant Marianne Bicksler about the
"aggressive union avoidance tactics" instituted at Delta while she was an in-flight supervisor.
Ms. Bicksler described a multi-track strategy:
a. suppress the vote of active employees
b. pad the list to create more NO votes
c. make the list of eligible voters inaccessible to stifle communication among them
This mirrors American Airlines tactics during our 1998 campaign.
Since that time, the agent ranks at American Airlines have shrunk by about 50% due to
retirements, leaves, station closings, and station conversions to American Eagle.
Some of these lost agents have recall rights for 10 years so remain eligible to vote. Having gone
on to new lives and perhaps new locations, they are unlikely to return a ballot, if one even finds
them; so they are automatic NO votes under current procedures, possibly running into the
thousands.
In fact, under current procedures, even the deceased can vote NO, as happened in a recent Delta
election. However, under the proposed procedural changes this contentious issue becomes
moot. Value would not, and indeed should not, be assigned to an abstention.
We urge you to let both YES and NO ballots be counted and the majority of those who choose to
participate rule. After 75 years, this will finally level the playing field and leave us with a fair election
process in line with democratic principles.
Richard Shaughnessy Sandy Josephson Mike Lo Vuolo
President Secretary Treasurer
and we would like to add our voices, and the voices of the agents on the attached petitions, to
those who have already spoken on the proposed changes in voting procedures to the RLA under
docket number C-6964.
Under the RLA, carriers are supposed to remain neutral during a campaign for representation.
However, they do not do so. You heard from Delta Flight Attendant Marianne Bicksler about the
"aggressive union avoidance tactics" instituted at Delta while she was an in-flight supervisor.
Ms. Bicksler described a multi-track strategy:
a. suppress the vote of active employees
b. pad the list to create more NO votes
c. make the list of eligible voters inaccessible to stifle communication among them
This mirrors American Airlines tactics during our 1998 campaign.
Since that time, the agent ranks at American Airlines have shrunk by about 50% due to
retirements, leaves, station closings, and station conversions to American Eagle.
Some of these lost agents have recall rights for 10 years so remain eligible to vote. Having gone
on to new lives and perhaps new locations, they are unlikely to return a ballot, if one even finds
them; so they are automatic NO votes under current procedures, possibly running into the
thousands.
In fact, under current procedures, even the deceased can vote NO, as happened in a recent Delta
election. However, under the proposed procedural changes this contentious issue becomes
moot. Value would not, and indeed should not, be assigned to an abstention.
We urge you to let both YES and NO ballots be counted and the majority of those who choose to
participate rule. After 75 years, this will finally level the playing field and leave us with a fair election
process in line with democratic principles.
Richard Shaughnessy Sandy Josephson Mike Lo Vuolo
President Secretary Treasurer
| Read the letter below that was sent to the NMB supporting the proposed NMB procedures, from the Officers of Local 6001. |
| Click below to read letters of support from Washington. |