August 26th, 2020

REPUBLIC MANAGEMENT RETAINS ANTI-WORKER LAW FIRM TO DEAL WITH REPRESENTATION ELECTION FILING

Republic management has retained Ford and Harrison, a law firm notorious for training company management teams on how to convince their employees not to form a union. Even though Republic management has its own Labor Relations department and attorneys, it felt the need to pay Ford and Harrison during the worst revenue crunch in airline industry history.

We know at the very least that Ford and Harrison attorneys will be dealing with our election filing. But that’s not where the law firm’s involvement usually ends. Ford and Harrison provides extensive training and strategic planning to help companies fight workers’ efforts to unionize.

There have been reports that Republic supervisors are now on the shop floor around the system saying similar things about our efforts to unionize. We urge all Republic AMTs to take what they have to say with a grain of salt. Ford and Harrison’s canned strategy, or any consultant whose goal is preventing workers from unionizing, usually involves a combination of things but it’s all based on uncertainty and fear, all with the caveat that “we respect your right to unionize and your choice.”

If Republic management really respected us, our rights, our profession, our future and our families, they would respect our right to freely choose to unionize without their influence or interference, like federal law says. But we don’t expect that to happen. We expect them to do everything in their power to retain the total control they enjoy today.

Please read our post from August 18th that addresses these issues.
 
Please read the election Q & A.
 
Also, check this video out about how companies try to dissuade workers from forming unions: