ASA Mechanics and Related File for Union Election, Seek Teamster Representation

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International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Jul 01, 2010, 03:37 ET

More Than 570 Workers at Atlantic Southeast Airlines Seek Respect on the Job

WASHINGTON, July 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, 570 mechanics and related employees at Atlantic Southeast Airlines seeking to join the International Brotherhood of Teamsters became the first unit to file for a union election with the National Mediation Board (NMB) under the new rules that dictate election outcomes will be based upon the majority approval of voting workers rather than the majority of the unit as a whole.

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Prior to the NMB voting to change the rule earlier this year, workers who didn't vote in union elections were counted as "no" votes. The Teamsters Union supported this change and has always led the fight for a fair, democratic process for workers to form a union in the airline and rail industry.

Many workers at Atlantic Southeast Airlines, a regional airline based in Atlanta, have lost their jobs due to outsourcing. The campaign to gain Teamster representation has been ongoing for more than two years and many see filing with the NMB as a milestone in their bid for respect and a voice in the workplace. Mechanics at the airline receive some of the lowest pay and benefits in the industry.

"We've worked really hard to get to this point. I think this will be a great first step toward a partnership with Atlantic Southeast Airlines that will benefit customers and employees alike," said Mitchell Cline, an employee at Atlantic Southeast Airlines.

American Rights at Work, a Washington, D.C.-based workers' rights policy and advocacy organization, has pledged to monitor the organizing campaign to ensure Atlantic Southeast Airlines does not engage in the type of anti-union activities that plague elections under the National Labor Relations Act.

The Teamsters Airline Division, building on recent organizing success among airline mechanics at United Airlines and Horizon Air, and continuing the momentum from the victory with 8,000 Continental fleet service workers earlier this year, is committed to fighting for the rights of employees at Atlantic Southeast Airlines.

"The mechanics and related at Atlantic Southeast Airlines have shown great courage and dedication by filing for this election," said Teamsters Airline Division Director Capt. David Bourne. "This puts the company on notice that management's behavior will be scrutinized carefully to ensure that workers rights are respected."

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters