American Airlines Acting Un-American

Wednesday (June 6th, 2012) afternoon, the National Mediation Board decided to move forward on a union representation election for 10,000 American Airlines’ passenger agents seeking to be represented by the CWA, and ordered American Airlines to set the wheels in motion. This decision comes after months of delay due to American Airlines’ efforts to stall the election procedure and prevent their employees from participating in an election.

American Airlines has been doing everything it can think of, legal and not, to stop nearly 10,000 agents from exercising their legal right to a union representation vote. The airline repeatedly refused to turn over the list of agents, violating a direct order from the National Mediation Board. The latest outrage was a lawsuit filed by the company on May 2, in which American Airlines is seeking to substitute its own judgment for that of Congress, so it can stop passenger service agents from having a union voice. Finally, American Airlines has been criticized for filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with $4 billion in the bank, a tactic many large companies employ to use bankruptcy claims as a cover for throwing out long-standing contracts with their employees.

On the heels of the Wisconsin recall and amidst recent speculation about the future of the labor movement, this small victory for American Airlines passenger agents sheds light on the tactics large companies are using to subvert workers and circumvent their right to an election. Additionally, the fact that House and Senate Democrats have publicly blasted American Airlines recently for delaying a union representation election also reaffirms Democrats’ continued support for labor causes, contrary to what pundits have been saying this past week.

Jobs with Justice stands in solidarity with the workers at American Airlines! Work should be valued.  Good jobs are the cornerstone of strong, healthy, happy communities. What is a good job?  A good job is one where workers have collective bargaining rights, employment security, and wages and benefits that allow their families to enjoy a decent standard of living and earn a fair share of the wealth produced by their labor. The workers at American Airlines deserve good jobs!

Urge American Airlines to Honor Democracy and stop trying to block the election by signing this petition! To get more information on the campaign please check out the American Airlines Passenger Agents’ campaign www.american-agents.org.