Workers rights – Organizing

your right to have an airline workers union is protected

The best way to ensure your human rights is to belong to an airline workers union. You have a right to join an airline union, a ramp union, a customer service union, or any union. When you join an airline union, you benefit from higher pay, better benefits, safer working conditions, and fair work rules. Just Tell Me How To Join

The U.S. “Railway Labor Act” governs airline unions. Under U.S. law, employees have the right to join an airline union without bullying from airline bosses, or, as the law says, without, “influence, interference or coercion from their carrier, its officers or agents.”

Here are your rights to join an airline workers union

• You have the right to join an airline union, and to ask others to join an airline union;
• You have the right to attend airline union meetings, and to ask others to attend;
• You have the right to wear an airline union pin on the job, so long as it does not carry a controversial slogan, or violate company policy or uniform requirements;
• You have the right to hand out airline union leaflets, on your own time;
• You have the right to assist in, and encourage others to support, an airline union, so long as your efforts don‘t interfere with your work or violate posted company policy.

Here are restrictions
placed on your employer

• Management bosses cannot tell employees that they will fire or punish them if they engage in an airline union activity.
• Management bosses cannot lay-off or discharge any employee for airline union activity.
• Management bosses cannot bar employee airline union representatives from soliciting cards or membership during non-work time, in non-work areas.
• Management bosses cannot ask employees about confidential airline union matters, for example, whether you have signed an airline union card, etc.
• Management bosses cannot ask the employees about whether they support the airline union or an airline union representation election.
• Management bosses cannot ask employees how they intend to vote in an airline union vote.
• Management bosses cannot threaten employees or coerce them in an attempt to influence their vote, or to prevent them from voting for an airline union.
• Management bosses cannot tell employees that existing benefits will be discontinued if the employees vote for an airline union.
• Management bosses cannot promise or give employees promotions, raises or other benefits if they vote against an airline union.
• Management bosses cannot prevent you from casting your vote for an airline union.
• Management bosses cannot insist on knowing how you voted in an airline union vote.

If you feel that your rights are violated at any time during the IAM organizing campaign, contact Tim Nelson immediately.
(224) 234-5414 – Cell

Your responsibilities, before joining an airline workers union

These guidelines are intended to assist you in understanding your rights in achieving an airline union, and to ensure that you stay within the legal bounds for protected activity in seeking an airline union.

While at work you can discuss the airline union just the same as you can talk about family, the weather, the latest sports scores or industry news. Like any other conversation, talking about an airline union should not interfere with work duties.

Organizing activity, like soliciting your co-workers to sign an IAM representation card – a necessary step when you want to join an airline union – must be limited to non-work times and in non-work areas. In other words, you can ask and encourage co-workers to join an airline union before and after work, in crew lounges, break rooms, and other non-work areas at the airport, unless the company has specific, non-discriminatory rules in place that prohibit doing so. Any other location away from work is fine.

Supervisors must not intimidate, coerce or interfere with you in any way for conducting organizing activity to join an airline union. If this happens to you please report it to an IAM representative. Do not be confrontational or insubordinate. If you are given a direct order by a supervisor or company representative to cease certain union organizing activity, comply with that order and inform the IAM immediately.

It is illegal for the company to favor one union over another, or for one union to be given greater access or fewer restrictions for organizing activity. Again, report any such favoritism to an IAM representative.

While you are engaged in organizing activity, never interfere with another employee in the performance of her or his work duties, or cause a disruption in the work place. If someone does not want to talk about an airline union, then simply end the conversation politely and walk away.

Next step to join an airline union

Contact Tim Nelson. | Send message

Tim Nelson is the Director Of Organizing within the IAM's airline union District 141.

(224) 234-5414 – Cell
(847) 640-2277 – Fax
tnelson@iam141.org

Your right to have an airline workers union is protected.

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Prepared by the AFL-CIO, www.aflcio.org/