POLL PREDICTS MAJORITY TURNOUT FOR US AIRWAYS UNION VOTE
Pensions, Wages, Health Care and Outsourcing Top Workers’ List of Concerns
(Washington, D.C.) – A late November poll of US Airways mechanics, utility, GSE and stock clerks predicts majority turnout for a union representation election – a strong signal that the issue will go to a vote of workers.
The telephone poll of a random sample of US Airways workers showed that 89 percent of workers polled (216 of 241 respondents) planned to vote in a representation election. The National Mediation Board requires that 50 percent plus one member of any potential bargaining unit must vote for any union to ensure union representation.
In that poll, workers rated issues of concern in their US Airways workplace. Those issues included pensions, wages, health care costs and outsourcing. Workers said their responses to the recent poll were driven by concerns about the airline industry’s trend toward outsourcing of work – and by misleading information generated by US Airways.
“Let me make this clear, no matter what US Airways or any other union may say: As soon as these workers choose the Teamsters as their certified bargaining agent, we will begin bargaining an amalgamated agreement from the two existing contracts – and that agreement will protect all the members’ work,†said Andy Marshall, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 104. “The results of this poll show us that we are one step closer to beginning that process.â€
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States and Canada.
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