Oct. 23--The insurgent Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association will not be allowed to try to become a bargaining agent at American Airlines for at least a year.
After 18 months of bitter union squabbling and an aborted attempt by AMFA to dethrone the Transport Workers Union at American, the National Mediation Board has denied the labor group's appeal to try again.
"We are saddened and deeply troubled at the course of action they (the National Mediation Board) decided to take, and furthermore at their interpretation of "unusual or extraordinary circumstances," AMFA national director Louie Key said in a statement. "After all of the hard work and dedication by the AA organizers, it is unfortunate that they now have to wait when the overwhelming evidence pointed to the collusion of the IBT and TWU, and ultimately, the deceitfulness of the Teamsters."
AMFA and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters tried to collect enough signatures in the last 18 months to force a union representation election. The Teamsters submitted its collection of signatures in early August, but AMFA officials weren't able to submit their paperwork in time to earn a spot on the ballot.
The Teamsters ultimately withdrew its bid.
AMFA officials say the withdrawn Teamsters bid should have nullified a one-year grace period before another union challenge.
AMFA supporters said the Teamsters conspired to elbow out AMFA in its attempt to represent American Airlines mechanics while the Teamsters pursued maintenance workers at US Airways. Eventually, the Teamsters would have been able to force another representation vote for all workers after US Airways and American Airlines merged.
The Teamsters, however, lost the right to represent US Airways maintenance workers to the International Association of Machinists.
The IAM and the TWU have a deal to jointly represent workers after the airlines merge, if American Airlines and US Airways are able to fight off a Justice Department antitrust challenge to their plan.
The one-year grace period means that any signatures collected to force an election by AMFA will expire and the union will have to start the process over again. A challenging union needs to collect signatures from half of about 12,000 American Airlines maintenance workers to force a representation election.
Tulsa was the center of the insurgent unions' attempts to represent maintenance workers as American negotiated a contentious contract that included frozen pensions.
American Airlines has about 6,200 maintenance workers in Tulsa at its primary repair and overhaul facility. About 4,600 of those are TWU members.
AMFA leaders now say they need to take some time to evaluate their strategy after more than two decades of trying to win over American Airlines workers.
"Even though there have been many shared sacrifices and much time and money invested in bringing the AA Technician and Related group into AMFA, four drives in the last two decades have failed," AMFA's Key said in his statement. "Whether their failure can be attributed to a widespread conspiracy or not is irrelevant and should not consume our designation of blame."
Kyle Arnold 918-581-8380
Copyright 2013 - Tulsa World, Okla.
