Airline trade group wants easier union decertification if approving unions gets easier

September 3rd, 2009 Woman says life easier after breaking long nailsSALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake City woman who held a Guinness World Record for her long fingernails before they broke off in a car crash says it was the most dramatic event of her life. But Lee Redmond, who lost the fingernails in February, says it's now much easier to do things and her hands seem to fly with the weight of the nails gone.

July 28th, 2009 Summary Box: Arbitration key in union bill disputeSHIFTING DEBATE: The clash over a bill that would make it easier to form unions is shifting as labor leaders and lawmakers try to fashion a compromise that can garner 60 votes in the Senate. CARD CHECK DROPPING? For months, business groups have focused on the bill's "card check" plan that would let workers sign cards to organize unions instead of voting by secret ballot.

July 27th, 2009 Correction: Story on how to trade airline milesIn a July 22 story about how to trade airline frequent-flier miles, The Associated Press reported erroneously LoyaltyMiles.com's policy on trading frequent-flier miles in one airline for those in another. LoyaltyMatch does not allow people to trade frequent-flier miles from one airline for miles in another.

July 22nd, 2009 How to trade frequent-flier milesWeb sites including Points.com and LoyaltyMatch.com let people trade frequent-flier miles from one airline for miles in another. The miles can also be traded for hotel-reward points, merchandise or cash.

July 15th, 2009 Air Canada reaches deal with mechanics unionTORONTO — The largest union at Air Canada has approved a 21-month labor contract, considered a critical factor in keeping the airline out of bankruptcy court. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said Wednesday members voted 60 percent in favor of the deal this week.

July 13th, 2009 Union leaders: Obama still firm on organizing billWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama told labor leaders Monday he remains committed to passage of legislation making it easier to form unions, but he did not offer any timeline. Obama made the comments at a White House meeting with top union officials who reassured the president they are united on health care and labor reforms despite internal rifts within the labor movement.

July 9th, 2009 Trumka launches bid to lead huge labor federationWASHINGTON — The nation's largest labor federation is about to elect its first new leader in 14 years after the labor movement split because of tensions about the longtime leadership. Richard Trumka, currently the secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, on Thursday formally launched his bid to become the organization's next president with a boisterous rally at the University of the District of Columbia.

June 22nd, 2009 Labor unions, Catholic hospitals to end conflictWASHINGTON — Labor unions and Catholic leaders have reached an agreement designed to end years of bitter hostilities that often surrounded union efforts to organize workers at Catholic hospitals. The accord, announced Monday, seeks to apply Catholic teachings that recognize the right of workers to "freely and fairly" decide whether to join a union.

June 19th, 2009 Bondholders, unions file objections to GM saleNEW YORK — A group of General Motors Corp. bondholders and some of the automaker's labor unions have filed objections to the company's plan to sell its assets to a new company to emerge from bankruptcy protection.

May 14th, 2009 Obama urges compromise on labor billRIO RANCHO, N.M. — President Barack Obama says he hopes a compromise would preserve the core ideas of labor-backed legislation and persuade holdout senators to support making it easier for workers to form unions.

May 14th, 2009 Specter raises hopes for deal on major labor billWASHINGTON — Sen. Arlen Specter said Thursday the "prospects are pretty good" for a compromise on legislation making it easier for workers to form unions.

April 30th, 2009 AP: GOP group launches anti-Specter robocallsHARRISBURG, Pa. — A national Republican group is hitting the telephones to remind Pennsylvania Democrats that Sen.

April 24th, 2009 Union activist appointed to Labor DepartmentWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has appointed a key union activist as senior adviser to Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, another sign of the influence that organized labor wields in the Obama administration. Mary Beth Maxwell spent the past five years as executive director of American Rights at Work, a nonprofit group pushing for passage of a bill to make it easier to form unions.

February 4th, 2009 KATHMANDU - The Manipal College of Medical Sciences in western Nepal and the teaching hospital affiliated to it remained closed for the fourth day Thursday after talks between the authorities and the protesting trade unions broke down over allowances. A collaboration between India's Manipal Group and the government of Nepal, the college and 700-bed hospital have been closed down by two trade unions affiliated to the ruling Maoist party as well as the opposition Nepali Congress since Monday over demands that the hospital authorities say are in violation of Nepal's labour laws.

January 18th, 2009 KOCHI - E. Balanandan, veteran trade union leader from the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), died here Monday morning, party sources said. A former politburo member of the party, 85-year-old Balanandan had been unwell for some time.