Pennsylvania Workers Sue Labor Board

WFB: Pennsylvania school bus drivers are suing the federal government for preventing them from holding a vote to cut ties with their union.

A pair of drivers at Krise Transportation in northwestern Pennsylvania led a campaign to cut ties with Teamsters Local 397 after souring with their representation. Their efforts gained nearly universal support form their fellow workers; 24 of the bargaining unit’s 28 employees signed a petition to hold an election on maintaining the relationship with the union. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the federal government’s top labor arbiter in charge of monitoring union elections, killed any hope of that vote, according to a new lawsuit.

An agency policy prevents decertification elections from taking place within a “reasonable period of time” following a settlement agreement between an employer and a labor organization, a doctrine known as the “settlement bar” rule. Krise settled a case with Local 397 in March, two months before workers petitioned to vote the union out. Those workers were not parties to the unfair labor practice case settled by Krise and say the agency is coercing them to remain in a union they do not want. The suit argues that workers should not pay the price for violations committed by their employer and that the board’s actions are contrary to the intent of the National Labor Relations Act.  read more