[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 82 (Wednesday, June 13, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1098-E1099]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             7 DAYS IN JUNE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ANTHONY D. WEINER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 13, 2001

  Mr. WEINER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to send a simple message: 
employer interference with workers' choices is unacceptable. When 
working people join together to form unions with the hope of improving 
their standard of living, their community and their jobs, harassment, 
coercion, firings and other attempts by employers to block the efforts 
of workers will not be tolerated.
  This message is at the heart of the AFL-CIO's ``7 Days in June'' 
campaign. ``7 Days in June'' is a week long series of activities around 
the country sponsored by the AFL-CIO to shine the spotlight on how hard 
it is for people to form legal unions in the United States. I am 
pleased to participate in today's special order and to be a part of 
this campaign. And I thank my Colleague, Mr. Bonior for organizing this 
event today.
  Whenever I hear the term union-busting, I think back to my high 
school history book, with black and white pictures of men with fedoras 
and billy clubs hopping out of old trucks and rushing picket lines to 
break up strikes in the 1920s and 30s. But the sad reality is that 
union busting is not relegated to the history books. It is a practice 
that is alive and well.
  Today, the men in fedoras have been replaced with lawyers in Armani 
suits. The billy clubs have been replaced with lawsuits, company-
sponsored sham-unions, and other tactics intended to harass or 
intimidate employees. These new tactics may not be as brazen as they 
once were, but they are just as effective in squelching the rights of 
workers to organize.
  I had the unfortunate opportunity to see these new tactics first hand 
earlier this year. On March 5, 2001, I was joined by 63 of my 
colleagues in the House of Representatives in sending a letter to the 
Chairman and CEO of Delta Airlines, Leo Mullen, a copy of which I will 
submit to the record. In this letter we simply asked him to allow the 
flight attendants at Delta to decide for themselves whether to support 
union representation.
  The genesis of this letter was a meeting I had with constituents from 
Kew Gardens, New York, who are flight attendants at Delta. They told me 
of the difficulties that they were having in organizing at Delta due to 
interference by supervisors and other employees who opposed the union's 
efforts. When I heard their stories, I offered to send a letter to 
Delta's CEO, asking him to sign the Association of Flight Attendants' 
``Appeal for Fairness,'' a six-point pact aimed at creating an 
atmosphere that will allow for a free and positive discussion, void of 
intimidation, threats and harassment.
  When word got out that I was sending this letter, I was overwhelmed 
by the amount of letters, e-mails, phone calls and faxes that my office 
received. From all over the country, flight attendants at Delta were 
contacting me to let me know of their own personal stories of 
intimidation, harassment and interference by supervisors and other 
employees at Delta Airlines who were opposed to the union's organizing 
efforts.
  The stories I heard were textbook cases of modern union-busting 
activities. Flight attendants in Boston who told me of a supervisor's 
effort to deny them meeting space in the airport. The supervisor even 
attempted to get them thrown out of the food court when he saw AFA 
literature on a table where three activists happened to be sitting. I 
also heard from flight attendants in Orlando whose supervisors were 
keeping lists of union supporters. And I hear from flight attendants in 
New York who were told that they weren't allowed in their own crew 
lounge if they were going to distribute AFA literature.
  Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the experiences of the flight attendants 
at Delta are not isolated incidents. All over the country there are 
companies that foster such an anti-union corporate culture that 
encourages these familiar union busting activities. I believe that it 
is our responsibility as Members of Congress to stand-up and lend our 
voices in criticizing this behavior, which is why I am participating in 
this ``7 Days in June'' special order tonight.
  Working men and women who undertake union organizing drives do so for 
many different reasons. But at the heart of every organizing drive is a 
desire to improve their lives and the lives of their co-workers. 
Employer

[[Page E1099]]

tactics that block the freedom to choose a voice at work are wrong. We 
should begin to change the way employers behave by passing laws that 
provide for stiff punishments for such acts and allow these workers the 
chance to express their views without the fear of company reprisals.
  In closing I want to commend the work of the flight attendants at 
Delta Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants who are trying 
to improve their standard of living, their community and their jobs and 
wish them luck in their continuing efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record a letter to the chairman and CEO 
of Delta Air Lines by me and several of my colleagues.

                                Congress of the United States,

                                    Washington, DC, March 5, 2001.
     Leo F. Mullin,
     Chairman and CEO, Delta Air Lines,
     Atlanta, GA.
       Dear Mr. Mullin: It has come to our attention that the 
     Delta Air Lines flight attendants are attempting to form a 
     union. We write to urge you to allow the flight attendants at 
     Delta Air Lines to decide for themselves whether to support 
     union representation.
       For nearly 75 years the policy of this country, as 
     expressed in our national labor laws, has been to encourage 
     employees to choose whether to join a union without 
     interference or coercion by their employer. Collective 
     bargaining is the time-honored method for resolving issues 
     between management and employees in the American workplace. 
     Workers have a right to a voice on the issues that affect 
     their careers and their working conditions.
       The Association of Flight Attendants' six-point pack, 
     ``Appeal for Fairness,'' is well-designed to ensure that both 
     the union and management conduct themselves fairly. It not 
     only calls on both management and the union to refrain from 
     coercive tactics but also provides for balanced meetings in 
     which both points of view can be expressed openly. And, in 
     the end, it calls for both management and the union to 
     respect the employees' final choice.
       We urge you to approach this, and every union organizing 
     drive, in a fair and balanced manner. We encourage you to 
     sign the ``Appeal for Fairness'' on behalf of Delta 
     management, to demonstrate to the Delta flight attendants 
     that the company is committed to respecting their rights 
     under the law and will honor their decision regarding whether 
     to join a union.
           Sincerely,
         Anthony Weiner, William O. Lipinski, John E. Sweeney, 
           David E. Bonior, Jerry F. Costello, Robert A. Borski, 
           Jerrold Nadler, Corrine Brown, Eddie Bernice Johnson, 
           Juanita Millender-McDonald, Nick J. Rahall II, Peter A. 
           DeFazio, Robert Menendez, Bob Filner, Frank Mascara, 
           Earl Blumenauer.
         Bill Pascrell Jr., Tim Holden, Steve Israel, Jose E. 
           Serrano, Carolyn McCarthy, Gregory W. Meeks, James P. 
           McGovern, Shelley Berkley, Nita M. Lowey, Nydia M. 
           Velazquez, Maurice D. Hinchey, Joe Baca, Jay Inslee, 
           Carolyn B. Maloney, Robert Wexler, Cynthia A. McKinney, 
           Carrie P. Meek, Rush D. Holt, Earl F. Hilliard, Lucille 
           Roybal-Allard, Martin Frost, Sam Farr, William J. 
           Coyne, Ron Kind.
         Patsy T. Mink, Fortney Pete Stark, Mike Thompson, Tom 
           Sawyer, Mike Ross, Dennis Moore, John J. LaFalce, 
           Barney Frank, Dennis J. Kucinich, Ed Pastor, David Wu, 
           Steven R. Rothman, Nancy Pelosi, William Lacy Clay, 
           Melvin L. Watt, John B. Larson, Neil Abercrombie, Julia 
           Carson, Hilda L. Solis, Carolyn C. Kilpatrick, Michael 
           E. Capuano, Rod R. Blagojevich, Jim Matheson, Karen L. 
           Thurman.

           

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