Continental Fleet Service Workers, Mechanics And Pilots March In Houston, Newark
Continental Airlines workers who are voting to join the Teamsters Union “marched on the boss” in Houston and Newark, New Jersey on Monday, January 4.
The workers are standing strong against ongoing violations against their right to form a union being waged by Continental management. For example, workers in Houston protested slimy, slanderous pamphlets circulating at work, some calling union organizers “pimps.” According to this KHOU story, dozens of workers gathered in front of Continental’s downtown Houston headquarters to protest. They were joined by Continental mechanics, pilots and other allies. The workers also demanded that management bargain in good faith. Both the mechanics and pilots are currently engaging in their negotiations for their next contract.
As part of the protest, fleet workers seeking union representation delivered a letter to Continental’s CEO, Jeff Smisek, saying:
“As the Chief Executive Officer of Continental Airlines you have the authority to insist that our managers not interfere in our right to organize. We are asking that you hold the managers to the same no distribution, no solicitation, no posting and no union organizing rule that has been applied so very strictly to fleet service workers in our effort to form a union. We ask that at the very least, there be a level playing field.”
According to the news story, Continental Airlines fleet service worker Jorge Bonilla said, “We shouldn’t be called names. We are basically asking them to stop the anti-union activity and to stop smearing the names of the employees,” he said. “We have a dignity and respect clause in our handbook and we're asking them to respect their own handbook.”
Anti-union and anti-worker propaganda like this is quite common the closer workers get to choosing a union, and these fleet service workers officially started their election yesterday (the election lasts from Jan. 4 through Feb. 8).
Continental employees and the Teamsters Union aren’t the only ones asking the airline to stop their underhanded techniques. Recently, Rep. Donald M. Payne (D-N.J.) also sent a letter to CEO Smisek, saying:
“It is my understanding that slanderous anti-union literature is being distributed at Newark and other Continental stations. I viewed the literature and have attached copies for your review. The materials greatly concern me. This literature singles out certain pro-union employees and makes false, racist and malignant accusations; denigrates the Teamsters in a very low, unseemly way and overall are not in accord with responsible corporate practice or with Continental’s reputation as a quality airline…I respectfully urge you to do more by identifying those who are writing and distributing this demeaning and dishonest literature and to hold these individuals accountable for their harassing and discriminatory conduct. Such oversight must be exercised quickly if the integrity of the voting process is to be protected.”