The FAA Reauthorization And Reform Act & What Has Union Bosses In A Panic
Congress needs to reassert itself in the face of the NMB’s brazen sop to the unions, and the law now under consideration in the House — Title IX of the FAA Reauthorization Bill — would do just that, overriding the policy change. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee shot down an amendment that would have removed the provision by a 30–29 margin (three Republicans sided with the unions), and a similar amendment will no doubt be proposed when the bill goes before the entire House this week.
Union bosses, most notably the Communication Workers of America—which is the parent union of the Association of Flight Attendants, as well as represents USAirways passenger service agents—are desperately trying to push the LaTourette/Costello Amendment.
In addition to the amendment’s co-sponsor, Republican Steve LaTourette* (R-OH), who has received over $336,000 in union contributions over the course of his congressional career, Tim Johnson (R-IL), Candice Miller (R-MI), and Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) are the three other Republicans that have, so far, sided with the union bosses.
The FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act is scheduled for a vote on Thursday.
Unionization By Regulation
Congress has an opportunity to fix this giveaway to Big Labor. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2011 (H.R. 658) would restore the old voting rule requiring a majority of workers in the bargaining unit to vote for a union in order for the union to be certified as those workers’ exclusive bargaining representative. However, Big Labor and its allies in Congress will fight tooth and nail to preserve their new advantage. Reps. Steve LaTourette (D-OH) and Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) have introduced an amendment to remove the language implementing the change back to the original rule from the bill.
Restoring the old rule is especially crucial in light of the fact that, under the Railway Labor Act, workers who vote for a union but become dissatisfied have a near-impossible time voting the union out. This needs to be reformed as well.
US Bill Seeks To Reinstate Stricter Rule On Unionization Votes
The provision, backed by House Transportation Committee Chairman John Mica (R., Fla.), targets a rule change by the National Mediation Board last year that made it easier for airline and rail employees to form unions. Under the new rule, a union can be created if a majority of the votes cast are in favor of collective bargaining. Previously, it took a majority of a company’s entire workforce, which meant that employees absent during the vote were tallied as “no” votes.
The House bill would repeal the change. A full House vote could occur as early as Thursday; a Senate-passed version of the bill doesn’t include the provision.
A spokesman for Mica said the proposed legislation is intended to correct what he called a “favor to organized labor” by the NMB.
“Changes in the way elections are conducted under the Railway Labor Act are the authority of the Congress, not two political appointees of the National Mediation Board,” said Mica spokesman Justin Harclerode.