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Unions Vie for Votes in Merger of Airlines By Chris Maher | July 30, 2013 The Transport Workers Union has accused the International Brotherhood of Teamsters of forging hundreds of workers’ signatures, amid a fight to represent mechanics at soon-to-be-merged US Airways Group Inc. and American Airlines parent AMR Corp. The TWU filed the allegations last week with the National Mediation Board, the agency overseeing an election that will ask the 12,000 mechanics at American whether they want to remain in the TWU or join the Teamsters. The allegations, which were reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, include affidavits from two people who said they were employed by the Teamsters as organizers when they learned that others had forged documents. Forging cards used to seek unionization elections is a violation of the mediation board’s rules, and the TWU argues that it is a criminal offense under a law that prohibits making false statements to the federal government. “There were authorization cards from at least 1,500 workers who had never been seen, spoken to, or assessed,” one Teamster organizer wrote in an affidavit. A Teamster spokeswoman said the union didn’t have a comment. In a letter dated July 29 to the NMB, the union said it takes the allegations “very seriously” and asked for more time to respond to the agency. A spokesman for the NMB said the TWU’s allegation is under investigation and that no date for the election between the two unions has been set. To get on the ballot, the Teamsters need to get 50% of the roughly 12,000 American Airlines workers plus one to sign cards saying they support the Teamsters. The allegations are likely to draw criticism from employer groups who argue that unions sometimes mislead workers to get them to sign cards. Michael Lotito, a San Francisco attorney who represents employers in labor disputes, said “it’s extremely unusual for there to be allegations of outright fraud with cards.” One person who worked as a Teamster organizer and who supplied an affidavit said that organizers are under pressure to get cards signed but that forging cards is highly unusual. “You’re after the authorization cards,” the person said. “That’s your main objective.” The Teamsters are also seeking to represent mechanics at US Airways currently represented by the International Association of Machinists. Teamster officials have defended both efforts, saying workers sought out the Teamsters after being disappointed with their current representation. The union fight is also being closely watched by labor leaders, many of whom view it as an unwanted and costly raid by the Teamsters on unionized workers at a time when union membership has slid to 6.6% of private-sector workers. Richard Trumka, head of the AFL-CIO, said in an interview Friday that he is trying to resolve the dispute. “It makes no sense to me,” he said. “It seems like a colossal waste of time, energy and resources to fight over the 7% that are organized when you have 93% that aren’t organized.” James Little, president of the TWU, sent a letter to Teamster President James Hoffa in March, telling him that “a source” inside Teamster headquarters confirmed the allegations. “Please inform me immediately as to whether these allegations are factual,” Mr. Little wrote. A TWU official said the Teamsters union hasn’t responded to the allegations. |