The following is factual information regarding unions and answers to frequently asked questions. We firmly believe that you are entitled to know the facts concerning union representation. To that end, we are committed to updating this question and answer section as frequently as necessary to answer common questions.

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Q. I'm not for or against a union at this point. Why shouldn't I sign a card?

A. An authorization card is a legal document. It says that you are turning over your collective bargaining rights to the officials of this union, people you may have never seen before. Once you turn a signed card into the union, it becomes the union's property. If you change your mind, the union has no obligation to return it to you. Before you sign an authorization card, make sure you have all the facts to make an informed decision.

Most authorization cards will ask for your address and phone number. By asking for this information, the union is pretty much saying that you will be hearing from the union at home. It might be literature or bothersome phone calls at home. Or it might be annoying union organizers coming in person, trying to get more information on ABX, and names and addresses of other employees that might sign cards.

Q. Doesn't signing an authorization card just mean we will have an election? I won't have to vote for a union, just because I sign a card would I?

A. You are absolutely correct that you wouldn't have to vote for the union just because you signed a card. However, there are a lot of dangers associated with allowing a union drive to reach the stage of an election. Employees who are against allowing a labor union to take over their job rights would be put under tremendous peer pressure to vote for the union. The same people who are telling you to sign a card "just so we can have an election" could be calling you a "coward", a "traitor", even a "scab" if you subsequently chose not to vote for the union. It is very divisive, turns employees against employees, and ruins productivity in the process. No airline wants to go through the turmoil of a full-fledged union election. That is why we are doing everything in our power to educate employees at this stage about what is really at stake if a union got voted in here at ABX.

Q. Doesn't having a union automatically mean getting higher wages, better benefits and better working conditions?

A. No. No union can guarantee you anything. If the union won an election, the only thing they would win is the right to bargain with management--nothing more. There are no other guarantees. No one knows what will happen in the give and take process of collective bargaining. You could end up with more, you could end up with the same thing you started with, or you could end up with less. Anyone who says differently is not telling you the truth.

Q. How long would the negotiations last if the APWU were to win an election?

A. No one really knows, but it is almost certain that it would be a long time. First, there would be direct contract negotiations, which could easily last a year or more. The law does not require that the employer agree to any union demands that it does not believe are in its best interests. If no agreement had been reached, the mediation stage would begin which also could take months and even years. APWU's record for negotiating contracts with private employers shows that the average first contract takes about 23 months, but in at least one case it has been 59 months and they are still negotiating.

Q. What would happen to my pay and benefits during the many months and even years that it might take to negotiate a first contract with a union?

A. Under the RLA, it is entirely up to the Company to decide what it wants to do with wages and benefits during the entire time it takes to negotiate a first contract. Almost all companies freeze general increases that are given annually during first contract negotiations, with the object of making the union bargain for any increases. Some companies freeze all increases including longevity increases. At ABX, this means that it would be well within our rights to freeze pay scales and all pay step increases until the first contract has been negotiated.

Q. Could the union set the job standards and pay rate for each employee?

A. No. A union can only ask that ABX consider its proposals. The Company does not have to change any job standards or rates just because a union asks us to.

Q. Could the union force ABX to do away with work rules?

A. No. Our rules are necessary so that ABX will operate in an orderly fashion. All companies have work rules, including union shops.

Q. How much would I have to pay in union dues?

A. The APWU has stated in one of their Fact Sheets that dues are generally between $9-$10 a week. That ends up being $36-$40 a month. That amount quickly adds up to hundreds of dollars that employees would pay in dues. The Dues Calculator illustrates how quickly dues money can multiply over the years when dues are $36-$40 a month. Union dues could be increased later by the union. You may pay a certain amount now, but what will it cost a year or two from now?
Belonging to a union could cost even more than just dues. Besides dues, unions often require contributions to strike funds, building funds, special project funds, or for political action with which you may not personally agree. If an employee refuses to pay these assessments, his union membership may be suspended. A union may also fine its members who violate any one of the many union rules. Some unions have sued their members to collect fines.

Q. If the union ever won an election, would I be required to pay dues or fees to the union even if I did not want or vote for the union?

A. Almost certainly. If a union is elected, it will be speaking for all employees in the bargaining unit as a group, regardless of how an individual employee voted. One of the biggest priorities for any union is negotiating what is known as a "union security clause". A union security clause requires all employees in the group to pay dues or what is known as "agency fees" to the union even if they choose not to belong to the union. In many cases it also requires the employer to fire any employee who refuses to pay. The APWU has negotiated such clauses in their contracts with private employers. As a negotiable item, the employer will typically demand that the union give up something else in exchange for such clause. The union will also want a "dues checkoff" provision in a contract, which means that dues are automatically deducted from employees' paychecks. We think it's fair to ask, if the union badly wants a union security and a checkoff clause, what does the union have to sacrifice in order to get these things? The answer is everything you now enjoy. Remember, if a union is voted in it speaks for and binds everyone, like it or not, good deal or bad. The Company's goal will shift to doing what's best for the Company.

Q. Why does the APWU have a Constitution, and how would it affect me?

A. All unions are required by the federal government to have constitutions that they are supposed to make available for all of their members to read. These constitutions contain numerous rules and regulations that would be absolutely binding on you if the union was voted in and you were forced to join the union. Click here to read the constituion.

Q. What is an LM-2 report and how can I get a copy?

A. An LM-2 (formally called a "FORM LM-2 LABOR ORGANIZATION ANNUAL REPORT") is an annual financial report every union in this country is required to file with the U.S. Department of Labor. Union LM-2 financial reports are public records. Click here to see APWU's LM-2.

Q. Could the APWU strike to force the Company to give higher wages and benefits?

A. Under the RLA, the union is prohibited from striking during the bargaining process. Once a deadlock is reached during negotiations, the union or Company can apply for the services of a mediator. Once the mediator comes in, the bargaining process continues with the mediator present. Still, under the RLA, the union is not allowed to strike. Only when the mediator determines that the parties are deadlocked and arbitration is rejected, can a thirty-day cooling off period run, at the end of which the union is finally free to strike. This is typically years from the time of the original election.

Q. What could happen during a strike?

A. During a strike, the Company has the absolute right to continue its operations. It can do this by using management people to perform the work, subcontracting the work, or hiring replacements for economic strikers. What this means is that after the strike is finally over, the Company is not required to take back striking employees and displace replacement employees. Strikers must wait until there are openings.

Q. What should I do if I don't want the APWU or any other labor union controlling my job rights?

A. Let your co-workers know that this is how you feel. You have just as much right to express your opinions as the union supporters have to try and sell their union. It is important that your co-workers understand that it is just not ABX management but the majority of our employees that don't want a union to represent them. Whether you are opposed to unions, or are pro-union, the company's No Solicitation/No Distribution Policy applies in how and where views are expressed.

Q. I've been told by union supporters to keep quiet if I'm opposed to being unionized? I want to stay out of it. Should I?

A. We don't think so. You are involved. The results will affect you and the company for a long time. Don't be intimidated. Speak up. You have the same right to express yourself on this important issue as the people who are in favor of the union. While it may seem as though you are alone at first, there will be others in the group who agree with you.