Union-busting hidden by FAA

The Federal Aviation Administration, which is in charge of the airline industry and its infrastructure, has been operating on 23 temporary budget authorizations since 2007. So it was a big deal when a permanent, five-year authorization passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support and was signed into law by President Barack Obama.

It authorizes work to begin on a new air traffic control system, airport construction and other improvements to the health, safety and convenience of air travel.

While there have been no objections to these features of the bill, a number of unions mounted a very visible campaign against changes to the Railway Labor Act, which also regulates airlines, made in this bill.

The RLA was passed in 1926, amended in 1934, and has not changed in over 75 years.

While it is difficult to organize workers under the RLA, nevertheless, around two-thirds of the 500,000 workers in the airline industry are unionized.

The new changes allow airline companies to rip up valid union contracts. If a larger, nonunion company merges with a smaller, unionized company, the union contracts in force vanish. (Association of Flight Attendants)

Mergers are very common in this industry. American Airlines is planning on laying off 13,000 workers to save $2 billion, which means it is now a merger target.

If a nonunion carrier gobbles up AA, the estimated 80,000 remaining workers after the layoffs will not have the protection of a union contract.

Unions have to file authorization cards to hold an election to gain bargaining rights. The previous standard was 35 percent. Now it will be 50 percent. The cards will be public, which means employers will be able to pressure workers who sign them.

Employers will now have the right to suspend National Mediation Board rulings until their challenges are heard in a court of law, which seriously weakens the board’s power.

A bill that improves safety and convenience, while at the same time weakening the strength of unions, should be opposed.