Despite New Hailed Organizing Rules, Airline Workers Still Face Tilted Playing Field

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6417/despite_new_hailed_organizing_rules_airline_workers_still_face_tilted_/

Thursday September 9 2:07 pm

By Mike Elk

Last May, the National Mediation Board (NMB), which governs labor relations in the airline and rail industries, approved a rule making it easier for unions to organize. Under the older rules, as we highlighted in May, "If a worker didn't vote in a union election, that person's "vote" was counted against the prospective union."

Last year, when the Communication Workers of America (CWA) tried to organize the 3,000 gate and ramp workers of Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of US Airways' US Airways Express, workers faced exactly this problem. Not a single worker voted against the union, but the union still lost the election by 58 votes because only 49% of the total workers voted. Piedmont further stacked the deck against the union by adding to the potential voters list workers who could not vote because they were dead, didn't work at Piedont anymore, or were serving overseas in the armed forces.

When the NMB decision came down, changing the rules so that only workers who voted counted as a majority, it was hailed as a great victory for organized labor. "The new rules will help level the playing field for working people in the airline and rail industries," AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said.

CWA is now attempting to organize Piedmont under the new NMB election rule, which took effect July 1. But the rule appears to have done little to actually level the playing field for these workers.

US Airways is determined not to see its Piedmont workers unionized. All of US Airways gate and ramp employees are currently unionized, with baggage handlers making $20 an hour. But baggage handlers at nonunionized work subsidiaries of US Airways Express, like Piedmont, make half of that.

With Piedmont unorganized, US Airways is able to shift its passengers and flights to one of its nonunion subsidiaries, undermining and decreasing the need for the company's unionized gate and ramp workers.

FULL story at link.


The logo of Piedmont Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of US Airways.