The services of the National Mediation Board were invoked by the District 6, International Union of Industrial, Service, Transport and Health Employees (IUISTHE) on December 27, 1999, to investigate and determine who may represent for the purposes of the Railway Labor Act, as provided by Section 2, Ninth, thereof, personnel described as "Skycaps," employees of Quality Aircraft Services, Inc.

At the time this application was received, these employees were not represented by any organization or individual.

The Board assigned Investigator Benetta M. Mansfield to investigate.

FINDINGS

The investigation disclosed that a dispute existed among the craft or class of Skycaps, and by direction of the Board, the Investigator was instructed to conduct an election by secret ballot to determine the employees' representation choice.

The results of the first ballot count were set forth in a Dismissal issued on March 20, 2000. Quality Aircraft Services, Inc., 27 NMB 300. Subsequent to this decision, the Board discovered thirty-eight additional unopened ballots mixed in with the ballots from another representation investigation. All of the ballot envelopes were postmarked and received by the Board prior to the date of the count on March 17, 2000.

Quality Aircraft Services and IUISTHE agreed to a new count which was held on April 7, 2000. The results of this ballot count are as follows:

The National Mediation Board further finds that the Quality Aircraft Services and the employees in this case are, respectively, a Carrier and employees within the meaning of the Railway Labor Act, as amended; that this Board has jurisdiction over the dispute involved herein; and that the interested parties, as well as the Carrier, were given due notice of the Board's investigation.

ORDER AND CERTIFICATION

The Board hereby sets aside the Dismissal in Quality Aircraft Services, Inc., 27 NMB 300 (March 20, 2000). NOW, THEREFORE, in accordance with Section 2, Ninth, of the Railway Labor Act, as amended, and based upon its investigation pursuant thereto, the National Mediation Board certifies District 6, International Union of Industrial, Service, Transport and Health Employees, has been duly designated and authorized to represent for the purposes of the Railway Labor Act, as amended, the craft or class of Skycaps, employees of Quality Aircraft Services, Inc. its successors and assigns.

By direction of the NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD.

Stephen E. Crable
Chief of Staff