Failure to debate US labour law changes sets a “dangerous precedent”, say unions
February 2, 2012
Unions in the US are demanding that a new bill governing aviation safety be passed and that amendments to a key labour law that were introduced as part of the new legislation be deleted. They argue that there has been a lack of debate surrounding the changes.
The 19 unions, including 10 ITF-affiliated unions,* released a statement on 31 January demanding that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Bill be passed without planned changes to the Railway Labor Act (RLA). The new bill sets the agenda and funding of the FAA, which is responsible for aviation safety.
Currently included in the FAA Reauthorization Bill are changes to the Railway Labor Act, the labour law dealing with airline and railway workers. They require that at least 50 per cent of an employee group support a union before a union representation election can be held. Although there is no statutory requirement, the National Mediation Board, also responsible for industrial relations in the railway and airline industry, sets a 35 per cent threshold.
In the statement the unions say: “We remain strongly committed to passage of a clean FAA Reauthorization bill. […] The proposed Railway Labor Act changes would drastically rewrite a statute that was crafted by labour-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.”
“Rewarding the House Republican Leadership’s desire to rewrite decades of long-standing labour law in a flash by inserting an unrelated and controversial labour provision in a much needed aviation safety and security bill, without notice, hearing, or debate, sets an extremely dangerous precedent.”
*Amalgamated Transit Union; Association of Flight Attendants-CWA; Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen-IBT; Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees-IBT; Communications Workers of America; International Association of Machinists; Service Employees Local 32BJ-National Conference of Fireman and Oilers; Teamsters; Transportation Communications Union-IAM; UniteHere.