Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 18, 1994 TAG: 9405180093
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
The workers have been without a union for four years.
The board said 5,096 of the 7,687 eligible workers favored union membership, although the vote to choose among three unions was split. Under the board's rules, if more than one union is on the ballot and no union receives a majority of the ballots cast, a runoff is held between the top two vote-getters.
The board said the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers received 1,813 votes, the largest number cast, while the United Steelworkers garnered 1,746 votes. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters came in third with 1,533 votes and is now out of the running.
Four votes were cast for other unions. No votes were cast against union representation.
"Obviously, we'll work with whoever ends up winning," said David Shipley, a spokesman for Arlington, Va.-based USAir. The airline has 47 employees based in Roanoke; about half that number are ground crew members at Roanoke Regional Airport.
"We have every expectation that we're going to win the runoff," said spokesman Gary Hubbard of the Steelworkers in Pittsburgh. "The advantage, of course, is going to be that there are only going to be two unions, and there will be no ballot position for the word no."
The Teamsters once represented the eligible workers, who handle baggage and cargo, but lost the right to do so in 1990, a year after USAir merged with Piedmont Aviation. The Teamsters was the only one of four USAir unions required to hold an election then.
"We put a lot into it and to lose by this slight a margin is difficult, but we can take some gratification in the fact that these workers will now have a union," said Ray Abernathy, speaking for the Teamsters. "This is going to force the company to pay some attention to them."
The Machinists union could not be reached for comment.
Workers have been angered by USAir's replacement of a system that offered sick days, personal days and vacation days with a "block" program under which nonunion employees receive a certain number of paid days off per year.
This was the fourth time unions have tried to organize the USAir workers since USAir's 1989 merger with Piedmont Aviation. In the three previous campaigns, strong union support in the Northeast was overcome by stronger opposition in other sections of the country, particularly in Charlotte, N.C. About 1,400 fleet-service workers are employed in Charlotte.
This time, even top USAir executives expected the unions to win.
The Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service contributed information to this story.
by CNB