Wed, Apr 27, 2011
Balloting Dates Will Be Determined Later This Week
The National Mediation Board (NMB) on Tuesday authorized a
representation election that could establish the International
Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) as the sole
collective bargaining representative for 24,605 Flight Attendants
at the recently merged United-Continental Airlines. Election dates
will be set later this week, according to the NMB.
With strong support from Flight Attendants at both carriers, and
a recently ratified contract for IAM-represented Flight Attendants
at Continental, the IAM is favored to prevail in the election,
which was mandated following last year’s merger of United and
Continental Airlines. “This election is all about giving
Flight Attendants the opportunity to negotiate a contract that
respects their professionalism and restores sacrifices made when
their carriers were struggling,” said IAM Transportation Vice
President Robert Roach, Jr. “There is no excuse for Flight
Attendants at the former United to remain tethered to a
bankruptcy-brokered contract that continues to exploit them while
their carrier posts record profits.”
The NMB election will be conducted under the agency’s new
voting guidelines, which determine the outcome by a simple majority
of ballots cast. The IAM was an aggressive advocate for the new
voting rules, arguing against the former practice of assigning a
“NO” vote to any voter who did not cast a ballot.
“Democracy in the workplace should begin at the ballot box
and extend to every level of representation,” said Roach.
“Contract negotiations should be highly transparent and
include participation from all elements of the bargaining unit.
This is especially important in a classification as diverse and
unique as Flight Attendants.”
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