Mechanics at United and Northwest, flight attendants at American and pilots at Comair and Delta are entering the endgame stage of the Railway Labor Act stipulated negotiation process. Industry negotiations to return employee investments have dragged on for over 4 years in one employee group s case while airline managers have reaped immediate windfalls in the form of up to 40 percent pay and bonus awards. Management foot dragging during contract talks and strategies to interpret contract disputes through the court system work to escalate labor-management friction and intransigence. As managers employ federal solutions as a negotiation strategy, labor views such tactics as an act that poisons collective bargaining and subverts the process. The Director of George Washington University s Aviation Institute has stated, Under the Railway Labor Act, the company gets its negotiating power by being able to push contracts way beyond their deadlines.
Labor gets their negotiating power by being able to disrupt the company, meaning the traveler.
4 Congressman James Oberstar says the intent is to clearly strengthen the hand of management in labor negotiations. 5 Senator McCain, commenting on a proposed aviation bill, stated I m sure the airlines will complain about this bill as federal intervention or meddling in their industry. However, I note that they seem to be welcoming federal intervention on the labor front. The Managers Widespread dissatisfaction among airline passengers and employees is symptomatic of an underlying cause. Both groups are directly impacted by decisions made by airline managers.