Catherwood LibraryILR School

Still reeling from financial troubles long in the making and only worsened by the events of September 11, 2001, many airlines are seeking a new weapon in their attempts to squeeze cost savings out of workers through wage and benefit concessions. In a move that airline unions have condemned as an attempt to silence workers' voice and undercut their bargaining power, an industry lobbying group is pressing for changes in the federal Railway Labor Act that governs labor relations in the airline industry, to make it more difficult for workers to exercise their right to strike. Although chambers of commerce and other local and state business groups have joined such major airlines as Delta and American Air Lines in this attempt to weaken unions, the highly successful and most heavily unionized airline, Southwest, and several other carriers in have made it very clear that they have never had problems with the unions and will not take part in the lobbying effort.