Democratic House Leaders to American Airlines: 'Comply with the Law'

Contact: Candice Johnson or Chuck Porcari, CWA Communications, 202-434-1168, cjohnson@cwa-union.org and cporcari@cwa-union.org 

Washington, D.C. -- Democratic leaders of the House of Representatives are calling on American Airlines “to comply with the law and respect American workers’ right to vote in an election they requested.”

In a May 31 letter to American Airlines Chief Executive Officer Thomas Horton, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Ranking Committee Members George Miller and Nick Rahall pointed out that the airline is failing to follow a valid order of the National Mediation Board. Read the full letter here.  

“We understand that the company is relying upon legal arguments that are sharply at odds with congressional intent and legislative history, as discussed in the recent letter sent to your office on May 15, 2012 by Senators Reid Rockefeller and Harkin. It is a well-documented strategy to use litigation solely to delay and ultimately frustrate workers’ attempts to organize a union.”

The Democratic leaders called on American Airlines to comply with the NMB’s order so that “employees can receive the ballots to which they are entitled.”

Nearly 10,000 passenger service agents at American Airlines are being denied the right to vote in democratic, union representation election that the NMB ordered to begin on May 17. Last December, the Communications Workers of America, on behalf of agents, petitioned the NMB to set the election date. American Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy with $4 billion in the bank, has been doing everything it can – both legal and not – to block agents’ right to a union representation vote.