September 7, 2021
Dear American Airlines Mechanics and Related Employees:
Today, AMFA filed a Motion for Reconsideration with the National Mediation Board (NMB) in response to the NMB’s determination on NMB Case No. R-7557. The supposed neutral NMB investigation established that AMFA failed to support its application with the required number of authorization cards from the employees in the craft or class as set forth in 29 C.F.R. § 1206.2(a) of the Board’s rules.
The NMB’s decision rubber stamped the Investigator’s Rulings, which determined that the number of eligible voters as of the November 6, 2020, cut-off date is 14,403, except that the NMB removed one person from the list making the number of eligible voters 14,402. The TWU/IAM Association argued to add 1,200 individuals, of which the NMB did not remove on appeal and only accepted one of AMFA’s objections.
AMFA’s calculations indicate that the 7,228 valid authorization cards filed reflects a sufficient showing of interest against the 14,402 the list of eligible voters determined by the NMB; the submitted cards exceeds the minimum by 54 additional cards. Accordingly, AMFA believes that an election should be authorized as the requirements under the NMB’s rules were surpassed.
Additionally, we believe that under the circumstances, you deserve a transparent public explanation from the NMB detailing the outcome determinative discrepancy of the numbers preventing the authorization of an election. Furthermore, this information should be made available expediently, before substantial further harm occurs to the reputation and integrity of the NMB’s election process in the event the NMB has made errors in its calculation.
This is certainly not a victory for the TWU/IAM Association or a win against their own membership. This determination is not acting in accordance with the Railway Labor Act where employees have the right to organize and bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing. You don’t have the union of your choosing; you have the union of NMB’s choosing!
In Solidarity,
Bret Oestreich
National Director
