The Role of Modern-Day Labor Unions: Perceptions of U.S. Airline Employees

Abstract

U.S. labor unions began as organizations that were formed to ensure fair wages, better benefits, and improved working conditions for workers. Today, the U.S. airline industry is a heavily unionized environment with many unions representing the different airline employee groups. The purpose of this study was to solicit U.S. airline employees’ perceptions regarding the role and responsibilities of modern-day labor unions. The researchers collected 306 completed surveys from participating U.S. airline employees, representing airline pilots, flight attendants, aircraft mechanics, ground operations, and other airline employee group(s). Four significant findings emerged from the research study: (1) over 85% of the participating unionized U.S. airline employees approved of the labor unions that are representing them in the workplace, (2) approximately 75% of airline employees agreed their unions are beneficial to them in the workplace and their representation has improved employees’ wages, working conditions, and overall quality of life, (3) about 60% of the airline employees agreed that unions hold too much power and influence, and (4) almost 90% of employees agreed labor union endorsements and union money regarding political policies are wrong. The results and recommendations will be shared with labor union leaders, decision makers in the US airline industry, and aviation academicians, in anticipation these findings will determine if labor unions are perceived by the participating airline employees as no longer a necessity, but more of a mandated choice in the U.S. airline industry.