Breaking! Election Set for American Airlines Agents!

The National Mediation Board has just set the dates for the union representation election among American Airlines passenger service agents.

It's been a long time coming. In fact, when the election gets underway, it will be a year since agents first filed for CWA representation, back in December 2011. Today's NMB action means passenger service agents finally will be able to exercise their democratic right to vote.

Here's the NMB timetable: Voting instructions will be mailed on Dec. 4. The election will be conducted by telephone electronic voting and Internet voting, with the voting period in effect from Dec. 4 through Jan. 15, 2013. The tally will take place at the NMB offices in Washington, D.C., at 2 pm, EST, on Jan. 15, 2013.

American Airlines must provide labels with the names and current addresses of all employees on the list of potential eligible voters to the NMB by 4 pm, EST, on Nov. 6.

Earlier this week, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rejected American Airlines' request to reconsider its October decision supporting passenger service agents' right to vote for union representation. The court immediately issued a mandate dismissing the original suit and clearing the way for the National Mediation Board to set a new schedule to vote.

American Airlines has told employees that it will appeal the federal appeals court decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, in yet another attempt to deny workers their right to vote. That threat is nothing new, considering that American Airlines has tried every way possible to stop passenger service agents from exercising their democratic right to vote.

"This is a great victory, but we still have a lot of work to do," said Janet Elston, an agent at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. "We need to get our folks voting, and voting yes."

CWA Organizing Director Sandy Rusher warned that American will step up its attacks on the union. "They will keep fighting us, but we have the majority of the agents on our side," she said. "Agents have had enough of being jerked around."

Ted Tezino, who has worked for 11 years at American Airlines' Southern Reservation Office, noted the bankruptcy has made their situation as employees clear: "The company is not on our side, and it's time to stand up for ourselves."