Obama Administration Relaxes Transport Union Rules
[Guest post by DRJ]
The Obama Administration has changed a 76-year-old union rule applicable to airlines and railroads:
“Labor unions will have an easier time organizing workers at U.S. airline and railroad companies after the Obama administration on Monday changed a 76-year-old rule on union elections.
The change is a major victory for unions that have struggled to reverse years of decline in membership. And it’s the most significant so far in a string of White House moves designed to boost organized labor.
The new rule, announced by the three-member National Mediation Board, would recognize a union if a simple majority of workers who cast ballots approve organizing. The previous rule required a majority of the entire work force to favor unionizing. That meant workers choosing not to vote at all were effectively treated as “no” votes.”
The article suggests the rule is designed to make it easier to unionize Delta, as well as regional and small carriers.
Thus, it’s bad when the Supreme Court changes a 63-year-old campaign finance rule in the Citizens United case, and the Justices deserve to be scolded by President Obama at his State of the Union address. Meanwhile, it’s good when the Obama Administration changes a 76-year-old union rule, making it easier for one of the Democrats’ biggest contributors to increase their membership.
Got it.
— DRJ
What I say is bad, Is Bad!
AD - RtR/OS! (321c7a) — 5/10/2010 @ 1:52 pmWhat I do is OK for me, but not for thee.
This is actually worse than card-check would have been, isn’t it?
htom (412a17) — 5/10/2010 @ 2:43 pm@htom —
I see lots of room for shenanigans. It’s designed to depress turnout to only those who want what the union wants.
Jeff Weimer (952d52) — 5/10/2010 @ 2:48 pmThis will have a serious impact on FedEx’s business model and is a boon for UPS. UPS had been lobbying to get the rule relaxed as it would undermine a competitive advantage that FedEx had over them, chiefly non-union labor.
Christian (3290f5) — 5/10/2010 @ 3:00 pmDoes the new rule require a quorum? Or can they just make voting hard for the rank-and-file and only count the pro-union vote?
Kevin Murphy (805c5b) — 5/10/2010 @ 3:21 pmKevin, you have to ask??
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 5/10/2010 @ 3:31 pmI’m sure the Unions will have the elections at a convenient location and time for all workers, right? Kind of similar to school elections in the summertime. Low turnout helps them since the motivated folks will show up while, others are busy.
Jeff S. (b15751) — 5/10/2010 @ 4:01 pmBut he is a good man trying to do what he thinks is best for the country huh?
Mr. Pink (bb8267) — 5/10/2010 @ 4:09 pmDoing all he can to reward his biggest contributors and increase his stranglehold on the American economy.
The Great Uniter.
GeneralMalaise (1a238d) — 5/10/2010 @ 4:25 pmFed Ex goes union, productivity goes down, rates go up and the costs are passed along as one more brick in the hod that each business, large and small has to carry….further delaying the let to be seen recovery.
yeah, this’ll help the economy. Ear Leader is a mendoucheous twatwaffle.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 5/10/2010 @ 4:36 pmCan the NLRB do the same thing since it is now stacked with Obama appointees or is it governed by election procedures spelled out in the NLRB Act?
daleyrocks (1d0d98) — 5/10/2010 @ 4:48 pmYou have to remember that most print journalists in the news paper are members of the local Newspaper Guilds which are part of the Newspaper Guild of America which is part of the Communication Workers of America. The same applies to the editors. Most of the on-air “journalists” also belong either to Guilds or Unions. That means they are sympathetic to the union cause due to their own affiliation along with their progressive agenda. That’s IMO why most of them supported the Senate Health Care bill. They and their companies were exempt from the 40% tax on Cadillac Health Care Plans. If they were subject to that 40% tax there would have to be lay offs. They had a vested personal interest in seeing that it’s passed.
airedale (4338ea) — 5/10/2010 @ 5:54 pmI guarantee fraud will occur. The date of the vote, the method of voting, the time and place of the vote will be a mystery.Employees will only discover what Union they elected and who the president, vice president and board members are going to be when the dues come out of their check.The AFL CIO and it’s bastard child the CWA are corrupt. F*** the Communication Workers of America.
highpockets (f6be95) — 5/10/2010 @ 5:55 pmDid I say the CWA is corrupt and evil?
highpockets (f6be95) — 5/10/2010 @ 5:58 pmhighpockets– curent member the CWA
highpockets (f6be95) — 5/10/2010 @ 6:01 pmOver $ 90.00 dollars a month andover $1,1800.00 a year going to the CWA who then gives it Barry and the boys from Chicago. F the CWA
highpockets (f6be95) — 5/10/2010 @ 6:03 pmThis isn’t just FedEx and UPS. It’s also a gift to the machinists’ and flight attendants’ unions who are seeking to organize previously non-union workers at Delta Air Lines. Those efforts weren’t going well (though the FAs had a fair chance of succeeding), but with a change of rules in the middle of the game, the unions’ prospects are suddenly much brighter. Look for the IAM or Teamsters to make another run at Delta’s mechanics within a year, too.
RNB (e9a2f5) — 5/10/2010 @ 6:06 pmAmazingly corrupt. And sadly unsurprising, coming from Obama.
Brad (2cebab) — 5/10/2010 @ 7:50 pmA non-vote is a Yes vote!
AD - RtR/OS! (321c7a) — 5/10/2010 @ 8:02 pmThey have just made the whole process “Opt-Out”, for if you do nothing, the union wins.
Reject union made products or union provided services. Vote with your feet. Don’t like union thugs? Don’t let them get a dime of your money.
ropelight (72c034) — 5/11/2010 @ 5:39 amYid With Lid said
Sabba Hillel (dd522e) — 5/11/2010 @ 5:55 amI understand this is a big change for these industries – but aren’t other industries unionized under these rules today? Doesn’t it only take a majority of voters to unionize or not in all other businesses?
Corwin (ea9428) — 5/11/2010 @ 6:01 am22: The NMB set a higher standard for organizing airlines and railroads in order to prevent local strikes / organizing actions from shutting down national transportation systems. It’s a system that has stood for more than 75 years, and has not prevented nearly three-quarters of workers in the airline industry from unionizing. But that was not good enough, I guess, for this administration.
RNB (e9a2f5) — 5/11/2010 @ 6:17 am