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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 3, 2010)
Dec. 3-2010:NWLP 11/30/10 9:30 AM Page 2 Machinists Union loses Delta elections; files complaint In a pair of votes in November, In- ternational Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) lost a campaign to represent 13,800 Delta Air Lines workers. The votes follow on the heels of a Nov. 3 loss by Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), an affiliate of Communications Workers of America, among 20,000 Delta flight attendants. IAM had the support of 46 percent of Delta fleet service workers and 27 percent of stock and stores workers. The fleet service vote, announced Nov. 18, was 4,909 for the union to 5,569 against. Stock and stores vote, counted Nov. 22, was 166 to 439. Both groups included former North- west Airlines workers who were already IAM members before that airline merged into the Atlanta-based Delta. Both the Machinists and AFA filed charges with the National Mediation Board, which administers the Railway Labor Act that governs airline labor re- lations, citing illegal interference by management. AFA said Delta got flight attendants to vote by first signing on to DeltaNet — its in-house communications system — before transfering them to the elec- Voters in four states ban union ‘card-check’ Voters in four Republican-domi- nated states passed measures Nov. 2 to ban the “card check” method of union- izing. The anti-union ballot measures were supported by 60 percent of voters in Arizona and Utah, 76 percent in South Dakota, and 86 percent in South Carolina. But the measures may be struck down in the courts, because they en- croach on rights protected by a federal law, the National Labor Relations Act. “The U.S. Supreme Court has rec- ognized there are lawful means of union recognition other than elections,” William Lurye, associate general coun- sel at the national AFL-CIO, told the Labor Press. As far back as the 1930s, private sec- tor employers covered by the National Labor Relations Act have been allowed to recognize and bargain with a union when a majority of employees signs union authorization cards — without the union having to show majority sup- port a second time through a workplace election. But employers may also insist on that election before recognizing a union. In other words, it’s the em- ployer’s choice which method employ- ees may use to show majority support for union representation. Organized labor’s top priority labor law reform legislation — the Employee Free Choice Act — would give that choice to the employees. The bill passed the U.S. House in 2007, but failed to get enough votes in the Senate to forestall a Republican filibuster. The bill was reintroduced last year, but has not gotten a vote in the Democratic-led Congress that will end in January. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has waged an intensive campaign against it, and the state ballot measures are part of that campaign. Anti-union groups are planning similar measures on the 2012 ballot in California, Florida, Mississippi, and Ohio. tronic voting site at the National Medi- ation Board. DeltaNet allows the com- pany to track individuals’ computer keystrokes, meaning Delta knows who voted for or against the union. Earlier this year the National Media- tion Board found Delta guilty of illegal election interference in a union election at Flight Simulator Technicians. The National Mediation Board will determine if a revote needs to occur. A group of 16,000 Delta passenger service workers is still voting on whether to be in the IAM; those votes will be tallied Dec. 7. And IAM also seeks to represent a group of 2,200 of- fice and clerical workers. It must first get approval from the National Media- tion Board before scheduling a vote. Pilots are the only group with labor representation at Delta. Bend Area Transit terminates union leader BEND — Vic Gilardin, the top union officer at Bend Area Transit, has been fired for what he says are pretex- tual causes, after months of stepped-up scrutiny from management. Non-profit Paratransit Services, based in Bremerton, Washington, has the contract to manage the Central Ore- gon city’s transit agency. It fought em- ployees attempts to join Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 in 2007. After a long fight, the union was able to obtain a three-year contract in 2008. But Gilardin, the bargaining unit’s liai- son to the Local 757 Executive Board, says management continued to target him for minor infractions. At the begin- ning of November, he was terminated — told it was for having made right and left turns incorrectly. Gilardin, 60, has driven a bus for 25 years, first in Con- cord, California and Las Vegas, Nevada, and for the last five years in Bend. He says he never received any discipline prior to his involvement in the union. Gilardin has filed a grievance charg- ing wrongful termination, and said the union is looking at filing unfair labor practice charges with the National La- bor Relations Board. In the meantime, as a diehard union- ist, he’s looking for other work at union workplaces. Starting in January, he expects to get $366 a week of unemployment benefits, but that’s less than half his previous in- come. Still, Gilardin’s wife remains em- ployed at the transit agency as a dis- patcher, and Gilardin says he has no regrets. “My wife and I talked about it, and she said, ‘keep up the fight,’ ” Gilardin said. “Without a union, a company can do whatever they want.” Zachary Zabinsky • Social Security Disability • Auto Accidents Personal Attention To Every Case Working For Disability Rights Since 1983 NO FEE WITHOUT RECOVERY 621 SW Morrison, Portland 503-223-8517 (International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X) Established in 1900 at Portland, Oregon as a voice of the labor movement. 4275 NE Halsey St., P.O. Box 13150, Portland, Ore. 97213 Telephone: (503) 288-3311 Editor: Michael Gutwig Staff: Don McIntosh, Cheri Rice Published on a semi-monthly basis on the first and third Fridays of each month by the Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc., a non- profit corporation owned by 20 unions and councils including the Oregon AFL-CIO. Serving more than 120 union organizations in Ore- gon and SW Washington. Subscriptions $13.75 per year for union members. Group rates available to trade union organizations. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT PORTLAND, OREGON. CHANGE OF ADDRESS NOTICE: Three weeks are required for a change of address. When ordering a change, please give your old and new addresses and the name and number of your local union. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS, P.O. BOX 13150, PORTLAND, OR 97213-0150 PAGE 2 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS DECEMBER 3, 2010
