Originally Posted by
jagbn
Perhaps someone can answer this question: Why is it not a priority for ALPA to amend the Railway Labor Act to impose a timeline or "drop dead" date for self-help? A common complaint is that companies drag out negotiations for years, and the gov't never declares an impasse, so the union can never strike.
Congress makes the laws, not the president. The supposedly labor-friendly Democrats control Congress. Why is ALPA not pushing for this straightforward amendment to the RLA?
Good question...I asked this of a very senior national alpa guy from FDX...he explained that there are some beneficial provisions of the RLA which labor would not want to lose (ex. our contracts don't expire, they become amenable). Management feels the same way for similar reasons...if RLA gets opened up by congress, it would be very difficult to predict what we would end up with.