The Railway Labor Act is being abused by Corporate America. It forces labor to work under expired contracts, with no pay increases, and denies them the right to strike.
Why is this important?
Airline negotiations fall under the Railway Labor Act. Sounds odd, but the owners of the rails, over 100 years ago, wanted to ensure the trains would always run. By making it illegal to strike, when a contract ends, guaranteed the trains would operate. The U.S. airline system works the same way today. American and USAir pilots have been in negotiations for 6 years. United and Continental are in their 3rd and 4th years respectively. Airline managements drag their feet because they can and avoid pay increases for years. Labor needs the ability to strike when a contract ends and or receive cost of living adjustments for every month a contract goes beyond its amendable date.
