WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans on Thursday failed in their bid to overturn a new rule making it easier for unions to organize workers in the airline and railroad industries.
The Senate voted 56-43 against a GOP resolution that would have prevented the Obama administration from enforcing the rule.
The new rule, approved by the National Mediation Board in May, changes how votes are counted in union representation elections. It allows employees to unionize if a majority of those voting support the union.
Under the old rule — in place for more than 75 years — a majority of all workers in a unit had to favor union representation. That meant workers choosing not to vote were treated as “no” votes.
Advocates say the change makes elections more democratic and brings airlines and railroads in line with other industries, where the outcome is decided by majority vote.
But Republicans called it political payback to unions and argued that such a dramatic change in the way votes are counted should rest with Congress, rather than a politically appointed board.
“There is no sound legal or policy basis for hastily changing a rule that has been in place and upheld repeatedly for over 75 years,” said Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga.
Arkansas Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor were the only Democrats to join all 41 Republicans in voting to overturn the rule.
Opponents claim the rule change will lead to more labor strife, lower pay and burdensome work rules. Republicans also argued that a higher threshold for counting votes was reasonable for airline and railroad workers because rules governing those industries do not allow workers to vote out, or decertify, a union once it is in place.
Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin, of Iowa, said the 75-year history of the old rule was irrelevant in evaluating its fairness.
“Our country has rightly eliminated many flawed election rules when circumstances change, and it is time to discard this one too,” Harkin said.
The main impact of the change is at Delta Air Lines Inc., where unions are trying to organize thousands of flight attendants, gate agents and ramp workers. Delta voted down six unionization drives since 2000 under the old rules, but union officials are optimistic about votes taking place later this year.
“The Obama Administration has chosen to tilt the outcome of unionization elections at Delta in favor of the transit unions,” said Isakson, who hails from the state where Delta is based.
President Barack Obama had threatened to veto the resolution if it passed. But it was always considered a long shot in the Senate and it is unlikely to come up in the House.
In June, a federal district judge rejected a challenge to the new rule by an airline industry trade group. Most major airlines are already unionized.
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Comments (92)
BetterDays
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:49pmHey lets form a Union, a more perfect Union. One without mega unions like SEIU and the ALF/CIO.
Heres a thought, why not have local (work site only) unions, that cant go “national” or be linked to any other union in any way. This way the work force can get together with management on local business issues and reach equitable agreements that work locally.
Report Post »Additionally it should be a felony to have any UNION being involved in politics on any level. Unions are about worker/owner relationships and should never dabble in politics.
In fact scrap my idea, someone somewhere would find or make a loop hole and we’d be in it knee deep (head first) again. Lets just 86 the unions.
LisaTx
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:49pmIn the Senate they MUST have a majority of the Senate members vote yes for a bill to pass. In most instances they need 60 votes. It doesn‘t matter if they get 59 votes and one person who wasn’t there didn’t vote. In the Senate if that happens…it DOES NOT PASS.
Report Post »Don‘t see why it can’t stay the way it was for 70+ years…which is the way it is in the Senate also…
just my opinion
JD Carp
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:37pmWill anyone please look at what is happening in Europe with the unions? The union workers are great people, the union bosses are the dangerous ones. “Collapse the system from within.” Please union people wake up and see you will loose money if they put you on par Chinese or European counterparts. Social justice wil diminish your life style, not enhance it. You are being used as pawns to bring Marxism for the masses and a ruling class of professional politicians.
Report Post »YUMAAZ
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:32pmYou all need to read S J Res 30.
Check any bills, resolutions, EOs on THOMAS.COM.
Great research site of the forementioned.
YUMAAZ
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:54pmUnder the old rule — in place for more than 75 years — a majority of all workers in a unit had to favor union representation. That meant workers choosing not to vote were treated as “no” votes.
Read unit as shop.
NOW: the outcome is decided by majority vote of those voting regardless of those not voting. If ten percent of the shop vote and 7 persent of those voting to make it a union shop; than 100 percent of the shop will be unionize when 90 percent did not vote and three percent voted NO union shop,. Is this not Marxism at its finest. In the past as stated non-voting was a NO vote. Now majority voting rules the whole. Sounds like the mess we are in today. The unions will be government protected. The Supreme Court made a ruing that any enity that is governmnet supported with taxpayer money, the government has the right to control. Now the unions are controlling the government and the government is protecrting the unions.What bill that passed bailed out the union pension fund. Do you get now ?
Report Post »Evil Fundamentalist
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:20pmThis is Union thuggery at it’s finest. Use legislation to make it easier for the unions to thug people that don’t want to be a part of it.
Report Post »mrmikejohnson
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:16pmOur country might never recover from this financial crisis.
Report Post »Windsong
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:16pmKnow what’s really sad? Union members just got screwed and they don’t even know it. I truly feel sorry for them. They are trying to remain loyal to the ‘union leaders’, but they’ve just been kicked in the face. So, union members, READ the bill. Find out if you are still allowed to vote – for anything. Find out what country in the new ‘worker’s of the world unite’ club is going to get your job overseas. Stop blindly following your leadership and do some research. They didn’t do that in Greece or France, and now they are burning down their nations. I have more faith in the American union members. Please…please find out what you ‘leadership’ has done during the past two years. Find out if the ‘worker’s of the world’ will be working globally for your salary – or if you’ll be making the union wage in an unnamed third world country. Your research will surprise you. The Tea Party is doing more to try to help you than the progressive administraiton. If your ‘leadership’ is giving your jobs away, then why do you continue your relationship with them?
Report Post »joseph Fawcett
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:12pmI was forced into a union for a job a couple of years ago. They did nothing for me and yet I had to pay their dues, it was taken out of my paycheck without my consent and there was nothing I could do about it. I got low pay, limited hours, and no benifits. Unions could be good if they were fair minded and there was a need. What they should do is give an option for union dues to be taken out of the paycheck that way if the union member disagrees with the union they can withhold the dues. I say get rid of the unions, I will never work in one again.
Report Post »CHOW
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 5:26pmIt is worth noting that I once worked as a cook in a bar owned by a pair of union bosses. They had a plaque on the wall behind the bar declaring that it was a union shop. It was not a union shop, but since there were entrenched bosses in their respected unions (pipe fitters and machinists) there were no repercussions for declaring the bar a union shop when it was, in fact, non union.
Report Post »PA-Patriot
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:01pmSomeone has to keep the beer industry and dope dealers in business. More union members, more breaktime partying.
Report Post »FREE-FOR-ALL
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:25amI’m a Teamster. do I like most of the things that are done and said by them, NO. I work in the 5th most dangerous job in the U.S. I work hard and long hours. I have Federal and State regulations that I have to comply with. I’ve seen my fellow workers lose limbs,crushed and bones broken and so many back surgeries for compressed disks that I can’t count anymore. however things are getting better. so what is my compensation worth for this work. it depends on where you live, and if you are a union shop. TRUE, there are people that ride the union just like in nounion shops and they should be fired I have no simpithy for those people, because I have to pull up the slack for them, just like in nouion shops. The problem is that the members of union shops need to take back their Union from those that have taken it over and put it back on the path that it was formed for in the first place. untill the membership learns that they are the ones in charge and not those that are sitting behind those big union deskes, we willl forever be stuck with them.
Report Post »YUMAAZ
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:51pmRepublicans also argued that a higher threshold for counting votes was reasonable for airline and railroad workers because rules governing those industries do not allow workers to vote out, or decertify, a union once it is in place. Force those who do not want to be member to be discriminated against. This will be a gruarded class of workers. This is not Ameirca.
Report Post »This law should never have passed. They will destroy or control all commerce. Their target is WalMart. Will Communist China go for this. Defend the Right to Work law in you state to stop this. We are seeing Marxism.
Contrarianthinker
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:07pmWhere in the law does it say can’t deunionize?? Please prove to me that you know what you’re talking about. OK?
treven
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:24pm“Republicans also argued that a higher threshold for counting votes was reasonable for airline and railroad workers because RULES GOVERNING THOSE INDUSTRIES DO NOT ALLOW WORKERS TO VOTE OUT, OR DECERTIFY, A UNION ONCE IT IS IN PLACE.”
Report Post »Contrarianthinker
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:57pmTREEVEN: thanks for trying to answer. So the GOP figts efforts to have disunion votes too. Again, where in the actual statue does it say about Airlines?
Report Post »Bat
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 4:30pm@contrarianthinker – “…Rules governing those industries do not allow workers to vote out, or decertify, a union once it is in place.”
Report Post »dallenh
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:50pmUnions for Delta Airlines…. Yeah… that will help them turn a profit.
Report Post »analyzer
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:48pmDid anybody not see this coming?? My Dad always said that union workers were always a couple of watts dimmer than non union folks. I know, it’s not politically correct to say that, but he has long time passed.
The original purpose of unions have been distorted and corrupted by the union leadership. Through time, the workers have been led to a point which NOW, fear of job loss and benefit loss trumps right from wrong. It is sad. I know of many, many workers, non-union, equally and or more so experienced that are capable of doing the same types of jobs union workers are doing at better than 50% less compensation than the union guys.
I believe fear now controls the union workers. It is better to work than not to work; no brainer there, but the issue is our country’s welfare. Unions are not the answer. All one needs to do is examine Europe. I also believe that the union workers will fall harder than those that are not union folk. Again, unions are not the answer and they will be paying for the ‘welfare’ of others. They just haven’t seen this coming.
In the end, the unions folks will be hurt in many different ways. And that’s sad. But evidently, work is work; no matter what the repercussions are.
Report Post »VMAXBILL
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:42pmThere is no question that roughly forty percent of us do not care for the original America. The Democrats primary goal is to destroy us and set up the Marxist systems to collect the remains and form it into a country somewhat like China where the elites reign and the rest of us live in slavery. VOTE! Enlighten your friends and neighbors…These are dangerous times…
Report Post »GOTT-EM-MAUSER
Posted on September 25, 2010 at 12:48amDon’t despair too much. The 40% still have their guns and have been preparing for many years now. As their patience wears thinner and thinner, more and more are ready to become “Roof Top Voters” any day now. Nothing is over until it’s over, this isn’t France or Greece or Spain or ……………………
Report Post »broker0101
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:33pmRemember the good old days when the unions were actually the “little guy”?
Report Post »spendthrift
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:30pmJust another nudge to take power from the people…..
Report Post »Resolved
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:24pmI think this is a bad idea. What if Unions decide to only invite those who are pro-union to vote. It doesn’t matter what the majority thinks, only what the majority who know about the vote think. This has disaster written all over it.
Report Post »Contrarianthinker
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:05pmThe law REQUIRES publication of the vote weeks in advance. This rule doesn’t change that???
Report Post »pajamash
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:18pm“Advocates say the change makes elections more democratic and brings airlines and railroads in line with other industries, where the outcome is decided by majority vote.”
How many airlines are left that aren’t union? I gotta believe Delta is the only major one.
How many railroads are left that aren’t union?
Is this vote more of a “nudge” than something that will make a big difference in the short term? Are the democrates moving the Overton Window with this vote making it easier to unionize other industries in the future?
“Delta voted down six unionization drives since 2000 under the old rules, but union officials are optimistic about votes taking place later this year.”. Delta voted it down or Delta employees? This is just a way to stack the cards in favor of the unions to increase members by making it easier for them to get a yes vote.
““There is no sound legal or policy basis for hastily changing a rule that has been in place and upheld repeatedly for over 75 years,” said Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga.”. True Senator…unless you think like they do!!!!! They can call Glenn a fear monger but it sure seems like he is correct on what is going on today.
Report Post »Contrarianthinker
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:04pmPlease rememebr that this rule will also apply in disunion efforts.
Report Post »treven
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:22pm@Contrarianthinker: “Republicans also argued that a higher threshold for counting votes was reasonable for airline and railroad workers because rules governing those industries do not allow workers to vote out, or decertify, a union once it is in place.”
There is no “disunioning” in these industries.
Report Post »LinearAxis
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:12pmWatching Fox News, they have a vidio of GM union workers,on their lunch break, drinking beer and smoking pot, It used to be that you should never buy a car that was made on Monday. Now I guess its Monday or any day after lunch.
Report Post »Now its the unions in the airlines. We’ll be flying upside down!!!!
Contrarianthinker
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:02pmGive the union a chance and see what they do to these “workers.” Tey are on suspension without pay.
OneRepublic4us
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 6:17pmObviously this has been going on for a long time. I bought a used chevy blazer that was the joke of the repair shop. I will never buy another GM vehicle….EVER!
Report Post »LBreath
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:11pmUnion organizers now have another intimidation tool. If a worker opposes union representation, he will have to make his position known by casting a “No” vote rather than by simply not casting a vote. Workplace peer pressure and intimidation play a major part in union organization campaigns.
Report Post »Contrarianthinker
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:01pmUnless those threats result in more than words, I see no reason to stop pro and con dialogues about the idea of unionization. As I’ve said for years as a Business Professor, if company management is fair and respects its employees, there will be little chance of unionization. The greed of so any in management ranks today lead to laws/rules like this.
Report Post »independentvoteril
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:12pmone would think that that same pressure would be there regardless they see who is there to vote therefore would know if you weren’t there you voted NO.. Is this a secret ballot for voting?? Many who one might assume would vote yes can than vote NO.. I am not for most unions but it would be like having an election and anyone registered who didn’t show up would be counted as a vote for whatever party they registered for..
Report Post »psst
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:56pmMan!! You are sure walking around pretty good this am.. IHope you can do same tomorrow.
Report Post »What? Oh!! the bat in Bubbas hands?, Not to worry, he works for the SEIU base-ball bat company.. he’s just checking it out to find out how hard a wallop it can give w/o splintering. He a bat tester.
As for someone remarking about the greed of management.. What the hey.. they should take lessons from the Union bosses.. those guys puts Mother Theresa to shame.. Not a greedy bone in their bodies..
They are the epitome of Charity..They are so charitable, they give most of their workers $$/dues to do good works for the DNC.Ya know, like taking US down the tubes.
Leslie_Benedict
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:08pmThe tyrants strike another blow at our liberties. SSDD.
Report Post »Marcobob69
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:05pm“Workers of the world unite”, Andy Stern has got a big ol’ grin on his mugshot today. Global governance! Everything Beck said is coming true. WAKE UP, AMERICA!
Report Post »MrButcher
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:08pmgreat. more unions to kill more businesses.———-allow me to direct everyones attention to the National Right to Work Committee http://www.nrtwc.org/ if you aren’t a member already, i’d recommend you look into them. they do very good work.
Report Post »tepartyblog.info
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:34pmYou don’t have a right to work no thank you
tepartyblog.info
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:36pmJUst checked out the site. Seems okay. But I don’t like the name.
Comeandtakeit
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:58pmMr. Tea Party Blog. The right to work is the right to work in an industry as a non union participant. I think you are misjudging the name of the organization. Several southern states have right to work laws which mean that non union companies can work for public and government agencies even if they are non union.
Report Post »DanB
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 5:24pmMy brother-in-law lives in Idaho. They have a right to work law there. He told me that it means that even at a unionized company/shop, he has the right to decline union membership. It is his right to work as he puts it.
Hint: he is no fan of unions either. He used to work for a shop and has moved on to open his own shop. And his wife, my sister, is frustrated with unions a little too based on some of her experiences as a teenager in another state where there was no “right to work” laws.
Report Post »luvtheright
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:04pmRegressives are for “anything” that involves more corruption and theft of other peoples $$$. Yah — just what America needs, more union thugs to intimidate its members!
Report Post »Skwerl E. Muckenfutch
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:39pmYou know what was great about voting no to union representation? Getting my tires slashed & windshield replaced.
Report Post »Thankfully I was able to find a new job in a non-union shop right away [until the union at other locations of the large company I worked balked about working with us and we were all laid off at my location.]
megansmom
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:48pmWe go thru the tire slashing and threats every election cycle because my husband is in an Unionized company.
Report Post »It ain’t easy being a outspoken conservative in an union shop.
Contrarianthinker
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 4:00pmUnion shops are appalling. Law enforcement is appalling if that is happening. Fols that do this are NOT in the majority: these folks are true THUGS.
Report Post »grnhrn
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:04pmEven though I am anti-union if you choose not to vote then you get what those who did vote agree on
Report Post »chrisser
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:27pmOf course, that’s predicated on the assumption that the votes are counted fairly.
Nice election you got there. Be a shame if a bunch of the “No” votes got “lost” somewhere along the line.
Report Post »Contrarianthinker
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:58pmExactly. I see no sound reasons NOT to bak this change. Do you see nay made by the GOP? If so, please show me not just make scary threats. OK?
treven
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:18pmSo it would be okay with you if all the pro-union employees decided to hold a vote while conveniently forgetting to tell anti-union employees where and when?
Report Post »chrisser
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:56pm@Contrarian
Are you blind? Do you have a brain? No sound reasons?
How about unions are the very definition of corruption with a history of fraud, intimidation and violence against workers and employers alike.
What’s the “sound reason” for changing the rules? What happened to ‘democracy’? If a union can’t convince half of those in a company that they should be represented, then maybe they should make their case better, not change the rules so they can get a “majority of those who know there’s a vote“ or a ”majority of those who‘s ballots didn’t get “misplaced””.
Is there any level you leftists won’t stoop to get your way?
Report Post »Contrarianthinker
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 3:58pmTEEVEN: O focurse NOT. The law requires full disclosure of the vote. There ceratinly needs to be sound controls over vote nitification and counting.
Report Post »DanB
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 5:03pmA few questions. How many “no” votes by default were the result of people choosing not to vote because they knew it would be a “no” vote by default? If they intentionally voted “no” by default, why would they choose to do that? Maybe they were lazy? Probably a few of these. Or, did they actually fear repercussions? If the unions in France and Greece, and those here in America that harassed banks and executives, are any indication, then perhaps there was reason to not actually make that “no” vote.
Report Post »donbcg
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:02pmScrew unions. Screw congress. Both are places where reward is given to those who nothing and claim credit. This rule will destroy the economy.
Report Post »brinksmom
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 1:58pmJust what we need! More union members-NOT! I despise Dumbocrats in all their forms.
Report Post »bulldawg
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 2:37pm56 Morons in the Senate need to go, these idiots don’t watch the news, does anybody know what is going on in France as we speak, these Socialist pigs should watch BBC or FOX instead of the State run media which will not show the American people what the Unions are doing to their Country. Let the Revolution begin………… http://www.givemeliberty2010.com
Report Post »plunderpower
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 4:01pmUnions have outlived their true purpose and are now tools of the Left to help destroy our economy. Unions are the beginnings of the Socialist worker class. Anyone in a Union…you are destined to be a member of the working class serving the wims of the elite in the Socialist structure of the “share the wealth” economy. The elite class takes it all for themselves, live well and then let go of enough just to keep you working and alive to support them. Anyone in a union is part of the Socialist movement to crush businesses so the govt can take them over. Anyone in a union is helping to destroy our country. Unions are dinsaurs in a world wide economy. They serve no purpose on the global level…except to promote a world wide worker class for world wide elites.
Report Post »kgeorge152
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 5:09pmI read about 50 of these posts, and it appears you all have failed to see the big picture. Why bring it up in the first place? Why now? I did a study on our secretary of state race here in Ohio. Jennifer Brunner received over 300,000 dollars from every union you could name, there were over 50 of them. Unions donate big money to dems. This is payback, pure and simple. Can’t get it done legislatively, just do it by regulation. I hope you will all see the corruption that is taking place in our government in both parties. Stop voting for R or D and vote for new people with integrity. The system is broke and needs all new people.
Report Post »Compete or Lose
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 5:56pmTHis is offensive and disgusting. I wonder if the reverse is also true….ie can the union be decertified by the same less than majority voite???
Report Post »Gigantopithecus
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 7:13pmGreat, more losers drinking beer and getting stoned on their lunch break while they are making Jeeps.
Republicans should make a new law to label everything that’s union made, so we will know what NOT to buy.
Report Post »Jannaluv1
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 7:29pmI agree with KGEORGE152,It is just PAYBACK for the unoin $’s spent so far this election!!!!
Report Post »oldoldtimer
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 8:52pmThe National Mediation Board has a recent Obama appointee. A top lawyer from SEIU. All meant to control the board. Card check is all this is. The unions can now force a union even if a majority say no.
Report Post »thegr8restoration
Posted on September 23, 2010 at 11:04pmWe got a feaver what we need is more cowbell!
Report Post »