Joesy if they had 70% they would have filed months ago, get real, if you been reading the-mechanic.com you would have seen AMFA begging for cards the past two weeks to get to 50%.
Reuters
Rival union seeks to organize UAL mechanics -IAM
Friday March 7, 5:57 pm ET
CHICAGO, March 7 (Reuters) - The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association has filed another petition to represent mechanics at bankrupt United Airlines, the International Association of Machinists (IAM) said on Friday.The IAM currently represents some 12,000 mechanics at the UAL Corp.'s(NYSE:UAL - News) United, which filed the largest bankruptcy in aviation history in December. The IAM also represents a larger group of baggage handlers, ticket agents and ramp workers at United, the No. 2 U.S. airline .
AMFA, a smaller rival of the IAM, represents employees at the No. 4 U.S. carrier, Northwest Airlines Corp. AMFA has courted mechanics at United for years, filing a petition to organize in 2000.
An AMFA spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.
The IAM is engaged in restructuring negotiations with the bankrupt airline, which is seeking major concessions from all its labor groups.
Unions are scrambling to seal permanent deals with United before a March 17 deadline when the company has said it will take the next step in voiding its labor agreements if concessions are not finalized by then.
United's unionized workers are currently working under temporary pay cuts.
United spokesman Jeff Green said the airline would respect the voice of its employees with regard to union representation.
"We are confident that this will not interfere with our ability to reach a consensual agreement or reach a timely resolution," he said.
In a note to members on Friday, the IAM said it remained unclear how the AMFA's petition with the National Mediation Board would affect its negotiations with United. But the IAM noted that negotiations with United were halted in 2000 when the AMFA filed its last petition.
"AMFA's intrusion at this critical stage introduces potentially fatal distraction into an already precarious situation," Robert Roach, IAM general vice president, said in a statement.
After a petition is filed, the mediation board conducts an investigation to determine if enough employees are interested in organizing with the AMFA. If a simple majority of IAM employees show interest, an election would be held to determine which union would represent the group, a process which could take months.