Airline Trade Organization Files Suit To Block Change

The Air Transport Association of America (ATA) has filed a legal challenge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, responding to the National Mediation Board (NMB) issuance of a voting rule change for union representation. In a statement issued Monday, ATA said:

"Today, ATA filed a lawsuit seeking speedy review of the National Mediation Board final rule, which dramatically changes the procedures by which airline and rail industry union representation elections are conducted. This new rule turns 75 years of history on its head without compelling justification.

"ATA believes that the National Mediation Board failed to identify any material change in circumstances to support the new election procedure - a procedure that it last rejected only two years ago. The NMB decision to abandon an election procedure that the Supreme Court twice has upheld, which has allowed unions to effectively organize the rail and aviation industries, and which has served the public interest in avoiding disruptions to the vital national aviation and rail transportation systems, is both disappointing and puzzling. ATA looks forward to a quick resolution to this case, so that airlines and their employees can move forward together and more efficiently address their mutual goals."

Annually, commercial aviation helps drive more than $1 trillion in U.S. economic activity and nearly 11 million U.S. jobs.

FMI: www.airlines.org