Who is in the Mechanics and Related Craft and Class?
Under the Railway Labor Act, the craft or class to which an employee belongs for purposes of selecting a union is determined by the National Mediation Board (NMB). In other words, it is the NMB and the NMB alone that has the final word on which jobs are included within a craft or class and which are not. With regard to the airline mechanics, in 1964 the NMB appointed a committee of three respected neutrals to determine whether they should constitute their own separate and distinct craft or class or whether they should be included in a larger craft or class of Mechanics and Related Employees. On July 14, 1965, the committee issued a report concluding that the broader craft or class of Mechanics and Related Employees was appropriate. Subsequently, the NMB outlined the functions of the craft or class of Mechanics and Related Employees, in part, as follows: A. Mechanics who perform maintenance work on aircraft, engine, or accessory equipment. B. Ground service personnel who perform work ge
