The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) did not have the legal authority to issue its rule that would speed the process of unionization elections according to a ruling from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

The court’s opinion did not weigh the merits of the rule itself, but rather looked to the process by which the NLRB adopted the rule and concluded that its behavior was impermissible for its failure to satisfy the Board’s quorum requirement.

"According to Woody Allen, eighty percent of life is just showing up. When it comes to satisfying a quorum requirement, though, showing up is even more important than that. Indeed, it is the only thing that matters," the court stated.

ARSA is hosting outreach meetings for the aviation maintenance industry in Dallas and Cleveland during the month of June. The sessions will provide attendees with a free lunch and a chance to learn more about ARSA’s advocacy for repair stations.

The Cleveland meeting will take place on Monday June 11, the day before the 2012 U.S./Europe International Aviation Safety Conference kicks off, and will be led by ARSA Managing Director and General Counsel Marshall Filler and Executive Director Sarah MacLeod.

The Dallas meeting will occur on Thursday June 14, and will be led by ARSA Executive Vice President Christian Klein.

The law demands an open rulemaking process and the federal government must improve its procedures for incorporating materials by reference into regulations, ARSA told the National Archives and Records Administration on May 3.

ARSA’s comments were in response to a recent petition requesting changes to the way federal agencies are able to incorporate materials by reference when drafting regulatory mandates. Currently, when drafting a regulation, departments may incorporate by reference (IBR) materials that contain substantive requirements. However, there is no specific requirement that the referenced matter be publically available during the rulemaking process.

WASHINGTON, DC, April 25, 2012 – Aeronautical Repair Station Association Senior Vice President Gary Fortner, vice president of Quality Control & Engineering at Fortner Engineering in Glendale, Calif., testified before the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee’s Aviation Subcommittee about the excellent work repair stations across the country and around the world are doing to ensure aviation safety.

"For repair stations, good safety is good business," Fortner stated. "Aviation safety does not begin and end with the Federal Aviation Administration or any other regulatory body. It is the primary responsibility of every aviation maintenance employee performing work on behalf of an owner or operator, a certificated repair station, air carrier, or other aviation business.