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Airline Labor Updates will not attempt to interpret or comment
on strike issues. Airline Labor Updates will focus strictly
on the timing of possible strikes - what step each airline
is at in negotiations with union members.
The only purpose of Airline Labor Updates is to help our
customers make decisions about their travel plans.
Last Updated: Thursday, April
5, 2001, 9:05 GMT
Currently, Delta, Northwest, United and American, the nation's
four largest airlines, are in negotiations with specific union
members - pilots at Delta; mechanics at Northwest; flight
attendants and mechanics at United; mechanics, fleet service
clerks and other workers at American. Additionally, Sun Country
Airlines is in negotiations with its pilots; Comair, a regional
carrier and Delta Air Lines subsidiary, is in negotiations
with its pilots; and, Midwest Express with its flight attendants.
For a convenient At-a-Glance calendar
of potential strike dates, which you can print, click here.
Also, please read our Strike
Action Plan.
Please click on each airline logo to learn where that airline's
union negotiation is at today in a legally binding 8 Step
process of the Railway Labor Act. Read below if you are not
familiar with the 8 Step process of the Railway Labor Act.
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Updated: |
4/5/2001,
9:05 GMT |
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The Railway Labor Act was enacted by Congress in 1926 and
extended to airlines in 1936. It is the legislative bedrock
of labor relations law in the railroad and airline industries.
Basically, the Railway Labor Act calls for labor disputes
concerning railroads and airlines, which can not be settled
between the companies and workers' unions, to be presented
to a National Mediation Board which acts as an independent
arbiter. The purpose of the Railway Labor Act is to prevent
disastrous economic consequences of widespread strikes in
our nation's transportation infrastructure.
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STEP 1
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When negotiations are directly
between The Company and its unions; when both parties,
without help of a third party mediator, try to work
out their differences. If, and only if, direct negotiations
fail, then the process moves to Step 2.
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STEP 2
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When one or both parties request
the National Mediation Board (NMB) to step in and help
mediate an amicable settlement.
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STEP 3
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When the NMB assigns a mediator
to bring union employees and The Company together, to
help both parties find an amicable settlement. Step
3 can go on for a long, long time, as long as both parties
are willing to work towards an amicable settlement.
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STEP 4
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When the NMB mediator concludes
that settlement through mediation is not available,
then the NMB offers a binding arbitration, i.e. settlement,
to both parties.
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STEP 5
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When the NMB's binding arbitration
offer is refused by one or both parties, then both parties
are notified by the NMB, in writing, that mediation
efforts have failed, and both parties for a period of
30 days must maintain the status quo. This is known
as the 30-day "cooling off period."
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STEP 6
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At the end of the 30-day cooling
off period, the President of the United States may,
at his discretion, establish an Emergency Board to investigate
and report to him regarding the dispute. Once the Emergency
Board is in existence, as a rule beginning immediately
after the 30-day cooling off period, and for 60 days
thereafter both parties are required to maintain the
status quo.
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STEP 7
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When at the end of Step 5 (the
30-day cooling off period) if no Emergency Board has
been established (Step 6's additional 60 days), then,
AND ONLY THEN, is a union free to engage in a strike
or slowdown, and then, AND ONLY THEN, is The Company
free to impose new wages and work rules.
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STEP 8
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Rarely used, Congress may legislate
a resolution after Step 7. To prepare for Step 8, the
NMB has never allowed the cooling off period to expire
while Congress is not in session. Congress is not in
session during the month of August.
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