RLA, the railroads and Airlines
 

Posted in Majors also since it affects us all.

It appears the railroad workers are headed for a strike. One wonders how they managed to get released to strike in the first place. The law is called the Railway Labor Act after all. In our industry the last strike I can remember was the Spirit pilots in 2015 and the last major airline pilot strike was AA for 4 minutes in 1997. The last major airline strike of any length of time were the FA's at AA in 1993 for 5 days. Many pilot groups in negotiations over the last few decades have been told via back door channels that they would never be released to strike due to the "hardship" it would put on the US public. Yet a railroad strike would cause much more pain to mom and pop 'mericans if they go on strike. You think gas was expensive a few months ago? It would look like a bargain if the railroads shut down. It seems to me that all of the various airline unions (ALPA, IPA, SWAPA, IBT, TWU, AFA and any I missed) need to figure out what is happening with the railroads because our current system on the airline side has effectively taken the best tool we have for improving our contracts from us.

I wouldn’t be surprised if congress stepped in and imposed a contract on them.

Perhaps the Roads have learned from the GOP that congress is best ignored.

You got it reversed. Pilots were 93 flight attendants 97. The Northwest Airlines pilots went on strike for about two weeks in September 1998.


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The difference is that the President is a Democrat this time, and one who relies on the support of unions and (gasp) liberals who support unions. This is not complex: your rights and leverage under the RLA depend greatly on which party is in power.

What you state could not be further from the truth - doesn't matter who is in charge - they all bought and paid for
need I remind you of the cargo cut out of 117 that Obama made
my airline, K4, was in Section 6 bargaining for 6 years - and petitioned the NMB I think 4 times (under Obama) for a "Proffer of Arbitration" (which is what a group does in order to be released for self help)
Denied each and every time with two Democrats and one Republican on the NMB - we finally had a hearing in front of the full board of the NMB where we were told in no uncertain terms that we would never be released to strike - NEVER
so tell me again how it matters who is in the White House

RLA, the railroads and Airlines
 

This is definite proof that all politicians can be bought off. This isn’t a case where we have to take the word of anyone that the NMB wouldn’t release them to self help. Obama/Biden where in office when they approved the cargo cutoff after the FAA was going to implement it industry wide. There is no way around trying to argue around that fact. Even Democrats can be paid off to go against the AFL-CIO, which ALPA is a member of. And if you think this is just because it’s cargo, then go look up what Obama/Biden did (didn’t do) when allowing Norwegian Air International to operate into the US at the protest of ALPA/AFA/AFL-CIO.

https://ttd.org/news-and-media/press...ation-workers/