Piedmont Agents Vote "CWA Yes"

Piedmont agents voted overwhelmingly for CWA representation in November, capping an eight-year fight to get a union voice.

The 3,000 fleet and passenger service agents at Piedmont Airlines have a CWA voice, after overwhelmingly voting “CWA yes” in the National Mediation Board election.

The agents were the only major group at Piedmont without union representation. Now agents will vote on bargaining goals, elect their bargaining team and negotiate with management over wages, working conditions and other benefits. Key issues in the campaign were job security, unfair and arbitrary treatment and the lack of a grievance process.

“I feel relieved that I will actually be able to go into work and have representation. Favoritism is on its way out!” said Brad Kirby, an agent in Charlotte, N.C. “It’s been a long time coming, and it’s NICE, NICE, NICE,” said Angie Dickenson, another Charlotte-based agent.

For some agents, the victory capped an eight-year fight for a union voice.

“Management is always making up new rules for us but there are never any rules for them and how they treat us,” said ramp agents Robert Puig and Hopeton Smith who work at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. “That’s going to change now that we have a union.”

CWA President Larry Cohen said the campaign was a big victory for workers’ bargaining and organizing rights. “Piedmont and parent company US Airways used every anti-union trick in the book to keep workers from voting ‘CWA Yes.’ Management held forced captive audience meetings, had supervisors tear up union materials and harass union supporters, and even hired a notorious union-busting company that promised management results ‘or your money back.’

“It’s outrageous that most union elections are conducted this way in the United States. Piedmont agents stood up to this intimidation and won their union.”

Voting took place under new election rules set by the NMB that ensured that airline elections would be conducted following the same democratic rules that govern elections in the United States. Testimony and other action by AFA-CWA, CWA and airline workers convinced the NMB to implement the fair election rule in June.

CWA represents more than 60,000 employees in the airline industry, including passenger service agents at US Airways and some 50,000 flight attendants, members of AFA-CWA. Agents at American Airlines and American Eagle are working to win CWA representation now.

CWA local union leaders and activists, along with organizers from states up and down the East Coast and Midwest, worked with the agents throughout the campaign.