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For Air, Rail Workers, NMB Rule Means ‘Democracy’ |
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A new rule issued this morning by the National Mediation Board (NMB) means airline and rail workers will now be able to choose whether to join a union under rules that are more fair and more in line with democratic principles.
For decades, the deck has been stacked against workers covered under the Rail Labor Act (RLA) because every worker who did not cast a vote in a representation election was automatically counted as a “No” vote. The new NMB rule says that an election’s outcome will be decided by the majority of votes cast, just like every other election, from city council to the presidency.
Patricia Friend, president of the Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), says that flight attendants and other aviation and rail workers “have faced significant obstacles in their quest for collective bargaining rights.”
Outdated and unreliable voting procedures have fostered a unique culture of voter suppression as companies understand that impeding union organizing merely requires preventing employees from voting.
Employers and their outside union-busting companies engaged in the most undemocratic of practices by openly encouraging workers to destroy ballots and to not vote. Those days are now over.
Edward Wytkind, president of the AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department (TTD), says the change in rules guarantees
only workers who cast a vote will be counted…which ensures greater fairness in union elections for airline and rail workers across the country.
Janette Rook, AFA-CWA Northwest President, says, “Democracy won today.”
The over 7,000 Northwest AFA-CWA members look forward to voting in an election where there will be a level playing field. Northwest flight attendants have had union representation and a legally binding contract for over 60 years and we have worked tirelessly to maintain those rights. Since the recent merger with Delta, Northwest flight attendants have been concerned our rights would be taken away. However, today democracy has prevailed and every vote will be counted.
AFA-CWA says it will file for an election in 30 days when the new rule becomes effective.
7 Comments
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This is very good news! Best wishes to the flight attendants.
Kay Tillow
unionsforsinglepayer.org
Best news for workers in a long time.
Yay,
What great news.
I’ve been waiting to hear this one for a long time
The Machinists Union will also benefit greatly by this ruling. Especially in their quest to continue representation of old Northwest, now Delta Reservation clerks and baggage handler members and other Delta workers in the same worker classifications. This is truly a great day in labor relations and thank god we have Obama as President instead of some right winger nut from the other party. The action by the NMB is further proof it pays for workers to be actively involved in politics and that politics is not a dirty word. Charlie Williams, IAM Member
It really amazes me that the labor laws for the Air/Rail workers had such a ridiculous rule to assume a “No” vote. The sad part is all of our Brothers and Sisters of the past has to suffer from such a partial ruling.
My fellow Brothers and Sisters, we really need to educate our children on the benefits of unionization early in their lives, so that the generations of the future can really see that without unions in the workplace, their is no democracy, and without fair labor laws, there also is no true democracy.
I just shook my head at thinking of a rule of law that “assumed” a no vote, I have never heard of that happening anywhere in my 44 years of living.
This is great news for our fellow American Workers. This will help level the playing field that for years has tilted heavily against common folks and for the monied corporations. The Union Movement now should move forward for a strong Free Choice Act to help all workers, Union and non-Union, throughout the U.S.A.
After years of indecent treatment, excuses, lies, loose Laws, these
Employees have won the important First Step! The Employers and
their Lawyers are already at work, looking through their Employee
Lists for any weak “Sisters” and of course, the Employee Files.
Now is also the time to roll up our sleeves and tighten up the
Ranks fully knowledgeable of the Union Road that must be traveled.
God Bless You All!