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Airline Industry's Assault on Workers
BUZZFLASH READER COMMENTARY
by
Edward Bishop Winslow
The battered airline industry, which has yet to figure out that bad service, late and canceled flights, and uncomfortable seating are at least part of the cause of its crashing revenues, is now calling for legislation that weakens workers' right to strike.
One must wonder why the laissez faire crowd, which harangues for the government to get off our backs, seems to forget this notion when it comes to giant corporate welfare programs like last fall’s $15 billion handout to the airline industry after its CEOs, decked out in thousand dollar suits and rattling their tin cups, came before Congress.
The airline industry's latest assault against workers calls for changes in the federal Railway Labor Act that would make it more difficult for labor unions to strike. The Railway Labor Act, which was enacted in 1926, protects workers’ rights to join labor unions and governs the orderly settlement of disputes between management and labor. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., with support from the airline lobby, proposes to alter existing law to require an arbitration panel to settle disputes, effectively limiting labor's only weapon against the ruling elite. Labor leaders fear that if Congress successfully limits the airline workers' ability to strike, other industries might be similarly regulated. This would ensure continued impotence of the already flaccid labor unions.
This latest outrage comes at a time when massive layoffs have left tens of thousands of airline workers in desperate straits, while those who mismanaged the companies to begin with continue the lifestyles of the rich and infamous. With the Republican Party controlling all three branches of the federal government, the right-wing oligarchy, with its army of high-priced lobbyists, sees an opportunity to further weaken workers' ability to earn a living wage.
"These are airlines that say they're broke, and are asking for enormous concessions from their workers, and they hire the most expensive lobbyists in town to push a bill that would weaken worker rights," said AFL-CIO spokesman Michael Buckley.
Through a mixture of bad management and weakening economic conditions, the airlines bled more than $9 billion of red ink last year. Airline mouthpieces claim that labor costs are the cause for the industry’s troubles, but they forget that the wages and benefits agreed to were done in the free market. Labor had no laws on its side that required the airline executives to agree to pay a certain amount. These agreements were freely negotiated.
Yet even after workers gave the airlines major concessions in wages and benefits, the industry leaders continue to whine to the government.
"It's such an overreaction in light of all the concessions we've made," said Airline Pilots Association spokesman Duane Woerth.
Sen. Fritz Hollings, D-S.C. added, "The labor-management negotiations seem to be working, so we should not inject ourselves in the process." Let's here it for less government intervention in the free market economy.
The powerful big-money lobbyists want to attack flight attendants, mainly women, who are among the most vulnerable employees in the airline industry. "If Congress makes (the proposed) changes, it will affect a predominately female work group and put their wages and work rules in the hands of a male-dominated administration," George Price, a spokesman for the Association of Professional Flight Attendants said.
Instead of calling for more limits on workers' rights, let's call on our so-called representatives in Washington to issue stronger regulations on an industry that has failed in its mission to provide quality low-cost service for the nation since the airline industry was deregulated 25 years ago. Instead, deregulation gave the public a trend toward the airline industry's monopolistic practices, increasingly erratic service and an increase in the exploitation of the industry’s workers.
[Freelance writer Edward Bishop Winslow wrote this commentary, and the opinions contained herein are his own. He can be reached at edwardwinslow@attbi.com.]
BUZZFLASH READER COMMENTARY
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