Wed, Feb 01, 2012
Nineteen Labor Organizations Object To Changes In The Railway
Labor Act
Nineteen labor unions released a joint statement on Monday
denouncing the compromise reached between Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid (D-NV)) and Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) on
the long-term funding bill for the FAA. They say "rewriting decades
of labor law without debate or discussion sets a dangerous
precedent."
(L-R) Harry Reid, John Boehner)
The unions are UAW; Communications Workers of America;
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA; International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers; American Federation of Government Employees;
International Association of Machinists; National Education
Association; Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen-IBT;
Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees-IBT; Brotherhood of
Railroad Signalmen; Service Employees Local 32BJ-National
Conference of Fireman and Oilers; Sheet Metal Workers; United
Steelworkers; Teamsters; American Train Dispatchers Association;
Transportation Communications Union-IAM; Amalgamated Transit Union;
United Transportation Union; UniteHere.
"We remain strongly committed to passage of a clean FAA
Reauthorization bill," the organizations said in the joint
statement. "An aviation safety and security bill is no place to
impose unrelated and controversial labor provisions that will
ultimately serve to harm both airline and railroad workers. The
proposed Railway Labor Act changes would drastically rewrite a
statute that was crafted by labor-management cooperation and has
not been changed for over 75 years without the agreement of both
employer and employee representatives. Airline and rail workers
would suffer significant losses as contracts are jettisoned,
collective bargaining rights are cut and legal hurdles will be
placed in the way of gaining a voice at work.
"A rewrite of long standing labor law deserves proper and due
consideration through the normal deliberative process. Acting
otherwise directly conflicts with the non-partisan recommendations
of the 1994 Report of the Dunlop Commission on the Future of
Worker-Management Relations. This is particularly true of this law
which was uniquely created through labor and management
negotiations. Unilaterally changing that law without labor’s
input and without due deliberation threatens to unravel its
carefully balanced goals of labor stability and uninterrupted
commerce.
"Rewarding the House Republican Leadership’s desire to
rewrite decades of long standing labor law in a flash by inserting
an unrelated and controversial labor provision in a much needed
aviation safety and security bill, without notice, hearing, or
debate, sets an extremely dangerous precedent. We urge the Senate
to delete the provisions of the bill that would amend the RLA and
pass the clean FAA Reauthorization that all concerned recognize
this country sorely needs and supports."
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