House Committee Votes to Repeal Democratic Airline Elections

By just one vote, the House Transportation Committee this week voted to reinstate unfair rules for union representation elections for workers in the airline and railroad industries.

Last year, the National Mediation Board updated the rules governing union elections in the airline and railroad industries and put in place the democratic standard that is used in virtually every election for public office in the United States. The NMB's new rules determine union representation based on a majority of votes cast, in line with the National Labor Relations Act rules governing union representation across all other industries.

The committee's vote preserves language in the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization bill that would block the NMB from using this democratic standard for the union elections it oversees. Three Republicans and all Democrats on the committee voted against changing the NMB rules.

As the FAA Reauthorization bill moves to the House floor, CWA will continue to fight to keep this important democratic standard in airline and other transportation industry elections. If the Reauthorization language isn’t changed on the House floor, the NMB will be forced to conduct future airline and railroad elections under the undemocratic system.