Atlantic Southeast Airlines Stock Clerks and Related Workers Overwhelmingly Vote to Join Teamsters

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International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Oct 21, 2010, 03:58 ET

Stock Clerks and Related Workers Join ASA Mechanics at Airline as Newest Teamster Members

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 60 stock clerks and related workers at Atlantic Southeast Airlines overwhelmingly voted to join the Teamsters today, Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa announced. Nearly 88 percent of the workers that participated in the election voted for representation.

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"Once again, hardworking employees at Atlantic Southeast Airlines have turned to the Teamsters for representation," Hoffa said. "I applaud this group for sticking together and welcome them to our union."

The victory is the second this month for the Teamsters Airline Division; nearly 600 mechanics and related workers at Atlantic Southeast Airlines voted to join the Teamsters on October 12. Both election victories took place just weeks after Atlantic Southeast Airlines and ExpressJet announced a merger.

"This was a challenging, uphill battle, but we stuck together and were successful," said Verena Riese, an Atlantic Southeast Airlines stock clerk. "I'm looking forward to finally having a voice and making improvements at this company."

Atlantic Southeast Airlines mechanics and related workers were the first to file for union representation under the National Mediation Board's new rules and were the first to win union representation under the new rules. Atlantic Southeast Airlines stock clerks and related workers were the second group to file and win under the new rules.

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 and for victories to occur, 50 percent plus one of the workers had to vote for representation. Under the new rules, election outcomes are based upon the majority approval of voting workers rather than the majority of the unit as a whole. The Teamsters Union supported this change as part of the important fight for a fair, democratic process for workers to form a union in the airline and rail industry.

Stock clerks and related workers sought Teamster representation to improve wages, benefits and work rules and to end favoritism in the workplace.

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

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters