Court Ruling Paves The Way To Representation For Local American Airlines Agents

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)The Communications Workers of America scored a big victory October 3 when a federal appeals court overturned a judge’s ruling that had blocked a union election among nearly 10,000 employees at American Airlines, including 150 at metro Washington-area airports. “It’s pretty exciting but we’ve still got a ways to go,” said CWA District 2-13 Organizer Shannon Kirkland. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled that the lower court should have let stand the National Mediation Board’s (NMB) decision to order an election by American’s passenger-service agents. “These are phenomenal people,” Kirkland said, “and with American in bankruptcy they just want some kind of voice in how the airline goes forward.”