Ga. GOP battles airline unions

By Bob Keefe

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Washington - Led by Georgia's Republican congressmen, a group of U.S. House Republicans is firing another salvo in the fight over proposed federal rule changes that could make it easier for unions to gain representation rights at Delta Air Lines in the wake of its merger with Northwest.

U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal of Gainesville this week sent a letter to members of the National Mediation Board strongly objecting to proposed rule changes that would to lessen the number of votes needed for a union to win the right to represent workers at airline and railroad companies. The letter was signed by 30 House members, including all of Georgia's Republican representatives.

In a statement, Deal said the controversial rule change proposal would directly promote union interests and would hurt Delta, Atlanta and Georgia.

"If finalized, this rule will force thousands of Georgians across our state to accept union representation which they do not want as a result of Washington politics,” said Deal, who's also running for governor.

Republican U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss also oppose the rule change.

The proposed change to the Railway Labor Act would require that unions win a majority of votes only from those workers who cast ballots, rather than from a majority of all those eligible to vote, as under the current rule.

It comes as Delta faces votes among flight attendants and certain ground workers over whether to be represented by unions that have been in place at Northwest. Delta, unlike other big airlines, historically has remained non-union except for pilots.

Delta executives and other opponents say the change would undo 75 years of labor law for no good reason.

Many congressional Democrats and other supporters of the change say airlines and railroads currently have an unfair advantage over workers who want to unionize. Under current rules, they point out, if a worker does not vote in an election to form a union, they're counted as a vote against unionization.

Last month, a group of nearly 200 Democrats in Congress -- including metro Atlanta Reps. John Lewis, David Scott and Hank Johnson -- sent their own letter to the Mediation Board in support of the change.

The Mediation Board is expected to consider the comments from Congress and the public over the next several weeks before making a final decision.

-- Staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi contributed to this report.