Effect of NMB Voting Change on Airline Unionization

Abstract

In 2010 the National Mediation Board made two significant changes to the application of the Railway Labor Act. Election rules were revised allowing employees to certify a union as their collective bargaining entity if a majority of the ballots cast are in favor of a particular union. Prior to the change, union certification required the majority vote of an entire populace of a craft or class of employees, not a majority of ballots cast. Additionally, failure to participate in a union election on behalf of a member no longer equates to an automatic vote against. Data from National Mediation Board airline related elections was mined pre and post procedural change and analyzed. Results indicate no statistical significance in certification elections when comparing the old and new procedure suggesting the change has no effect on union certification.

Author

• Elsenrath, Michael Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University