United Airlines: A battle between unions to represent mechanics may leave carrier the biggest winner

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Chicago Tribune

By Stephen Franklin and Julie Johnsson | Tribune Reporters

A Teamsters union bid to win over 5,000 mechanics from a smaller union could play into United Airlines' hands as it contemplates a merger and fields offers for its largest maintenance base in San Francisco.

The opening for the Teamsters occurred Friday when the National Mediation Board called for an election between the Teamsters and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, or AMFA, a small independent union largely disowned by organized labor.

The wrinkle that plays to United's hands stems from the airline's downsizing efforts.

Nearly half of United's 10,200 eligible voters were laid off years ago, and if neither the Teamsters nor AMFA win over 50 percent of the vote, that could leave the historically maverick group at United without any say in a merger.


Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-sat_teamstersjan26,0,3747199.story

[LiberalFighter]

1. I wonder if was intentional to draw another union to organize?

If I recall the workers won't just have Teamsters and AMFA to pick. But will have three choices of which No Union will be the third.

What is the possibility that one of the workers expressed the desire of not having representation and management detailed how he could make it happen?

I had thought that workers had to decertify their current union and then go a year without representation before they could vote on a new union.