In the testimony of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), President Larry Willis, he stated TTD’s opposition to the proposed rule on decertification of representation.
TTD represents 32 affiliated unions (including TCU) in all modes of transportation. This includes a number of unions whose members work in the aviation and rail sectors, are covered by the Railway Labor Act (RLA), and are directly affected by this rulemaking.
In his statement:
I thank you for the opportunity to testify today before the National Mediation Board (NMB or Board) on the Decertification of Representatives proposed rule. I should note that Carmen Parcelli, outside counsel representing TTD in this matter, also will appear today. Carmen will focus on the legal arguments and procedural deficiencies of this proposal while I will touch on some of the broader policy concerns and emphasize key arguments. In addition, TTD will be filing more extensive comments by the April 1 deadline.
At the outset, I want to express our strong opposition to this proposed rule and urge the Board to reconsider moving forward with this measure. The proposed rule is unnecessary, limits the rights of working people to seek union representation, and undermines stability in labor-management relations. That is why, after carefully reviewing the Board’s proposal, TTD’s Executive Committee, which met earlier this month, unanimously adopted a Policy Statement opposing this rule. In addition to our united position, I know several independent rail and aviation unions will express their opposition both at this public hearing and in comments filed to the docket.
We are at a critical moment in our nation’s history. People who work for a living, from office professionals and teachers to skilled-trades workers, hotel staff, and those on the frontlines of our transportation system, are turning to collective action at a level not seen in years—and for good reason. Stagnating wages, the skyrocketing cost of health care, advances in technology, the student debt crisis, and a lack of jobs that pay livable wages have all contributed to an economy that is tilted against working families. Given this reality, it makes no sense to adopt policies that would limit the rights of working people to have a say in what goes on in their workplaces, including the ability to form and join unions. Yet, with this proposal, that is precisely what two members of this Board are attempting to accomplish.
Click here to read the full statement from TTD President Larry Willis