Unions hope to ground FAA provision on organizing votes

West Virginia University law professor Anne Lofaso agreed,
saying the provision “runs counter to the spirit of democracy.”

National Mediation Board rules were just changed last
year so that absentee votes were not counted as votes against forming an
election.

The new fight comes amid a national debate over public
service unions, highlighted by the fight between Gov. Scott Walker and
Democratic legislators in Wisconsin.

Association of Flight Attendants president Veda Shook called
on members of Congress “to stand up today” and strip the rules from the FAA
bill, which she called critical legislation.

“This bill is about funding states’ air travel. It should
not be contemplated…to be dealing with workers, which is not germane,” she
said. 

Shook argued the fight to remove the union provision was not
partisan since 13 Republicans in the House had voted against it when it was
first inserted into the FAA bill. An overwhelming number of Republicans
supported the bill with the language included.

“This should not be viewed as a partisan battle,” she said. “It’s
a matter of fairness.”

The FAA bill has been delayed for more than three years. Democrats
have pushed the measure as an “aviation jobs bill.”