White House Backs Big Labor in Fight Over FAA Reauthorization Bill
Tina Korbe /
A year ago, a board of three unelected bureaucrats reversed 75 years of precedent when it decided airlines and railroads can unionize with the support of just a majority of voting workers rather than a majority of all workers.
Today, the House of Representatives takes up a bill that would reverse that decision and restore precedent — but it faces internal opposition and the threat of a presidential veto.
The Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill includes a provision, Title IX, that would annul the National Mediation Board’s 2010 Minority Rule decision and ensure that airlines and railroads unionize only with the support of a majority of their entire workforces. No longer would unions be able to organize airlines with the support of just 34 percent of the workforce, as AirTran did recently.
Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) was the author of Title IX. Speaking on a conference call with bloggers yesterday, Gingrey said he is hopeful the FAA reauthorization bill will pass with his provision intact — but he also acknowledged Title IX faces substantial opposition.