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Allied Pilots Association Applauds U.S. Rep. Steven Latourette for Supporting Union-Organizing Rule

Dépèche transmise le 31 mars 2011 par Business Wire

Allied Pilots Association Applauds U.S. Rep. Steven Latourette for Supporting Union-Organizing Rule

FORT WORTH, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Allied Pilots Association (APA), certified collective bargaining agent for the 11,000 pilots of American Airlines (NYSE: AMR), praised U.S. Representative Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio) for sponsoring an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill that would preserve recently revised rules governing union representation elections in the airline and rail industries.

“We support the preservation of these revised election procedures and express our gratitude to Representative LaTourette for illustrating that it’s not an issue that should be decided along traditional party lines.”

“We applaud Representative LaTourette for his political courage and hope that some of his Republican colleagues decide to join him,” said APA President Captain Dave Bates. “The outcome of union representation elections in the airline and rail industries should be determined by how workers actually vote.”

Until the National Mediation Board (NMB) revised the rules last year, workers who did not cast a ballot were counted as “no” voters. Elections are now decided according to how workers cast their votes. House Transportation Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) has proposed repeal of the NMB’s current rules and reverting to the previous method of conducting airline and rail union representation elections.

“The revised NMB election rules address an issue of basic fairness,” Bates said. “We support the preservation of these revised election procedures and express our gratitude to Representative LaTourette for illustrating that it’s not an issue that should be decided along traditional party lines.”

Founded in 1963, the Allied Pilots Association—the largest independent pilot union in the U.S.—is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. APA represents the 11,000 pilots of American Airlines, including more than 1,200 pilots not yet offered recall from furlough. The furloughs began shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Also, several hundred American Airlines pilots are on full-time military leave of absence serving in the armed forces. The union’s Web site address is www.alliedpilots.org. American Airlines is the nation’s second-largest passenger carrier and fifth-largest cargo carrier.