What is collective bargaining?

Collective bargaining is the only process allowing workers, as a group, the right to secure their terms and conditions of employment through negotiation of a legally binding agreement defining the terms and conditions of employment for both worker and carrier.

What is the final result of collective bargaining?

Once a contract is negotiated, it will contain such provisions as hours of work, wage and salary definitions, safety, work rules, and benefits. The contract is enforceable in a court of law. And the Railway Labor Act guarantees an orderly procedure for the resolution of differences, including binding arbitration if necessary. Without a Union, workers are “at-will” employees. They serve at the whim and will of the carrier.

Why is collective bargaining beneficial?

The following points identify the importance of collective bargaining:

• By organizing and acting in concert, workers achieve bargaining parity with their employer.
• Collectively bargained wages and conditions, which reflect the relative strength of the workers, are more substantial than what the carrier would offer, absent a Union.
• The source of workers’ collective bargaining strength is their credible threat of collective action against their employer.
• Without a Union contract, carriers are free to act like dictators and to set and change conditions without any input from the workers. With a Union contract, democracy is introduced into the workplace and workers achieve more control over their lives (where they spend a majority of their waking hours).
• With a Union contract, workers can win a wide range of benefits that otherwise could legally be withheld by the carrier, including improvements in vacation and sick leave policies, overtime pay, retirement, etc.

Does Collective Bargaining have a proven effect on workers’ wages and benefits?

Yes, for example, since the organizing first began with the Bristow pilots (OPEIU, Local 107) in 2000 they have received, on average, over a 150% increase in wages alone. This is in addition to all of the other improvements to their benefits and working conditions.