Yesterday, Feb. 6th, the US Senate passed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill that contained a vicious attack on bargaining rights for workers in the aviation and rail industries.
The proposed Railway Labor Act changes would drastically rewrite a statute that was crafted by labor-management
cooperation and has not been changed for over 75 years without the agreement of both employer and employee representatives. Airline and rail workers would suffer significant losses as contracts are jettisoned, collective bargaining rights are cut and legal hurdles will be placed in the way of gaining a voice at work.
http://www.afanet.org/...
Apparently, not enough Dems received the message in this call to action diary:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
There was supposedly, a compromise with the hostage takers. However, the "compromise", doesn't strip the anti-union provisions out of the bill to make it a clean reauthorization:
Their objection is that the raised threshold will make it harder to organize amid mergers of unionized and non-unionized airlines, a key labor target. They also see opening the door to rewriting longstanding labor law as a terrible precedent. In a draft of the letter to Dem leaders that I’ve obtained, unions will say:
We remain strongly committed to passage of a clean FAA Reauthorization bill. An aviation safety and security bill is no place to impose unrelated and controversial labor provisions that will ultimately serve to harm both airline and railroad workers. The proposed Railway Labor Act changes would drastically rewrite a statute that was crafted by labor-management cooperation and has not been changed for over 75 years without the agreement of both employer and employee representatives. Airline and rail workers would suffer significant losses as contracts are jettisoned, collective bargaining rights are cut and legal hurdles will be placed in the way of gaining a voice at work...
Rewarding the House Republican Leadership’s desire to rewrite decades of long standing labor law in a flash by inserting an unrelated and controversial labor provision in a much needed aviation safety and security bill, without notice, hearing, or debate, sets an extremely dangerous precedent. We urge the Senate to delete the provisions of the bill that would amend the RLA and pass the clean FAA Reauthorization that all concerned recognize this country sorely needs and supports.
Also, the SEIU has said they will also sign on to the above statement.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Are Dems going to put up any kind of fight against the slow and methodical dismantling of unions by the radical right-wing?
So, now it's time to let President Obama know that his veto pen is needed to prevent more anti-union legislation, crafted by the Repubs, from further damaging the already battered, bruised and shrinking ranks of union members.
Please call the WH to let them know that there's no reason to sign this. It should be vetoed and sent back to Congress for a clean reauthorization without the union-busting language.
12:10 PM PT: The unions are calling for a veto...
"We are directly petitioning President Obama to veto any FAA reauthorization bill that includes provisions that endanger workers’ contracts and right to organize. You can go to http://wh.gov/... and sign the petition."
http://www.afanet.org/...