A federal judge’s ruling permanently blocking 10,000 passenger service agents at American Airlines from voting on joining a union is a “disgrace and a travesty of justice,” says the Communications Workers of America (CWA). CWA Organizing Director Sandy Rusher says:   

Here in America, we're taught to respect democracy and our right to vote. Sadly, the court's decision today is an attack on the rights of these average Americans, agents who just want the opportunity to participate in a democratic election.

Passenger service and reservation workers at the new United Airlines voted to join the Machinists (IAM). The 17,000 new members represent the passenger service and reservation workers at United who previously were IAM members before the merger with Continental and the Continental workers who had no union prior to the merger.

The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., today upheld the new democratic union election rule for aviation and rail workers issued by the National Mediation Board (NMBM) in 2010.

House Republicans backed off their demand—at least temporarily—to end democratic union election rights for aviation and rail workers and voted yesterday to extend funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through January.

The Republican shutdown for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is over—for now—and the 4,000 furloughed FAA workers will return to work Monday and 70,000 construction workers should be back on the job soon now that airport improvement funds will flow again.

When Republican House leaders forced a shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last week, they not only forced the layoff of 4,000 FAA workers, they also put at risk nearly 90,000 construction jobs at airports around the country.

House Republicans would rather shut down the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and put the flying public at risk than allow aviation and rail workers a simple majority vote—the same process that applies to electing lawmakers—on whether to join a union.

If House Republicans prevail and their move to overturn fair and democratic election rules for air and rail workers remains in the final version of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill (H.R. 658), the White House warned yesterday that President Obama would veto the bill.

The House member leading the fight to deny aviation and rail workers fair union elections would have lost his seat by a 68-32 percent margin under the election rules he wants to impose on transportation workers.

The battle over workers’ rights moves from state capitols to Capitol Hill next week when House Republicans will try to repeal rules that guarantee fair and democratic elections for workers who want to form unions.