Understanding Your Rights

You have every right to demonstrate an interest in, learn about, discuss, and take action in unionization. The Railway Labor Act (RLA) guarantees that all employees in the transportation industry can organize their own unions. 

Additionally, the RLA protects employees by making it illegal for employers to:

• Monitor organization activities

• Threaten to sue to stop union organization

• Fire employees for expressing interest in or supporting a union

• Prohibit employees from discussing membership or signing support cards in non-work areas without a specific non-discriminatory policy banning all solicitation

• Ask employees if they’ve signed a card or if they support the union

• Threaten to stop providing existing benefits

• Promise raises, promotions, or other benefits in exchange for expressing anti-union support

• Stop an employee from voting

• Show support for a specific union

• Find out how an employee voted

• Ban employees from handing out leaflets on their own time in non-work areas 

• Stop employees from discussing the idea of a union while at work as long as it doesn’t interfere with work responsibilities

 If your rights are violated in any way, you can report the incident to the Crew Power Hotline.

If you’re ready to sign your card or you want to talk to your coworkers about signing their cards, you can do so in any non-work area.

As a Flight Attendant, non-work areas include:

• Crew lounges where you relax and chat with your coworkers

• Inside vehicles taking you to and from a layover hotel or employee parking lot

• Anywhere while on a layover

• On the concourse before you head to your assigned gate

• Anywhere that you aren’t actively engaged in work responsibilities