Linda A. Puchala
Chairman of the National Mediation Board
Assumed office
July 1, 2022
PresidentBarack Obama
Donald Trump
Joe Biden
Preceded byGerald W. Fauth III
In office
July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020
Preceded byKyle Fortson
Succeeded byKyle Fortson
In office
July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017
Preceded byNicholas Geale
Succeeded byHarry R. Hoglander
In office
July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014
Preceded byHarry R. Hoglander
Succeeded byHarry R. Hoglander
In office
July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012
Preceded byHarry R. Hoglander
Succeeded byHarry R. Hoglander
In office
May 26, 2009 – June 30, 2010
Preceded byRead C. Van de Water
Succeeded byHarry R. Hoglander
Member of the National Mediation Board
Assumed office
May 26, 2009
PresidentBarack Obama
Donald Trump
Joe Biden
Preceded byRead Van de Water
Personal details
BornMichigan
Political partyDemocratic
EducationCleary University

Linda Puchala is an American government official who has served as a member of the National Mediation Board (NMB) since 2009. Puchala is the former president of the Association of Flight Attendants.

Career

Puchala started as a flight attendant in 1969 with North Central Airlines;[1] in a 1985 article she noted that was a time when women had to resign when they married or reached age 32.[2] North Central Airlines merged with Republic Airlines and Puchala served as the master executive council chairperson.[3]

In 1979 she was elected as president of the Association of Flight Attendants and, once she convinced her family to move to Washington, DC,[4] she served in that role until 1986.[5] Puchala viewed herself as a candidate for the position because of her ability to serve as a mediator.[6] As noted in the 1982 book From sky girl to flight attendant: women and the making of a union, she faced multiple challenges including airline deregulation and rising costs.[7] In 1984 the Association of Flight Attendants union was linked within the AFL–CIO,[8] making Puchala the first female president of a chartered federation union.[1][9] She was active in addressing issues with discrimination against women in aviation[10] and in 1985 she spoke with the New York Times about how women are turning to unions in the aviation industry because of inequitable treatment.[2] She also worked to increase the association's ability to effectively generate publications that were shared with members.[11] In 1985, when Puchala was denied a place on the executive committee of the Air Line Pilots Association, labor activists were surprised and noted that despite advances, women were still not treated equally in the workplace.[12]

Puchala served on President Barack Obama's transition team and he nominated her for the National Mediation Board in 2009.[13][14] She was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 21, 2009.[15] Her past with unions was noted as a positive given the pending contract negotiations between airlines and their unions, and the potential for conflict during the negotiations.[16] She help negotiate contracts between labor unions and multiple companies including UPS,[17] US Airways,[18] and United Airlines.[19] Her appointment to the National Mediation Board was viewed by some as a favor to unions given the board's changes to the National Rail Act in May of 2010 which made it easier for unions to recruit new members.[20]

President Donald Trump nominated her for an additional term on the National Mediation Board,[21] and she was confirmed to a second term in August 2013.

She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate for her third term on November 2, 2017.[22] In 2022, she was nominated by Joe Biden to serve as a member of the National Mediation Board.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 Serrin, William (February 27, 1984). "REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: LABOR AND THE ISSUE OF LEBANON". The New York Times.
  2. 1 2 Greenhouse, Steven (September 1, 1985). "RESHAPING LABOR TO WOO THE YOUNG". The New York Times.
  3. ↑ "The NMB's newest member: Linda Puchala" (PDF). 2009.
  4. ↑ Cobble, Dorothy Sue (1993). Women and unions : forging a partnership. Internet Archive. Ithaca, N.Y. : ILR Press. p. 386. ISBN 978-0-87546-300-1.
  5. ↑ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Key Additions to his Administration". whitehouse.gov. September 15, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017 – via National Archives.
  6. ↑ Gray, Lois (2001). "Women in Union Leadership". In Costello, Cynthia B.; Stone, Anne J. (eds.). The American woman, 2001-2002 : getting to the top. Internet Archive. New York : Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-32142-5.
  7. ↑ Nielsen, Georgia Panter (1982). From sky girl to flight attendant : women and the making of a union. Internet Archive. Ithaca, NY : ILR Press. pp. 135–136. ISBN 978-0-87546-093-2.
  8. ↑ "AFL-CIO News 1984-03-03: Vol 29 Iss 9". American Federation of Labor and. March 3, 1984.
  9. ↑ Von Bergen, Drew (February 23, 1984). "AFL-CIO leaders vote charter to flight attendants". UPI. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  10. ↑ Karim, Persis (November 16, 1985). "People's World 1985-11-16: Vol 48 Iss 46". Longview Publishing Company, Inc. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  11. ↑ Forbes, Mary Ann (1992). "The promise of technology: a case study". In Pizzigati, Sam; Solowey, Fred J. (eds.). The New labor press : journalism for a changing union movement. Internet Archive. Ithaca, N.Y. : ILR Press. ISBN 978-0-87546-189-2.
  12. ↑ Arthur A. Sloane (1991). Labor relations. Internet Archive. Prentice Hall. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-13-517798-3.
  13. ↑ Esterl, Mike (April 14, 2009). "American Airlines faces cash crunch, labour unrest". The Globe and Mail. p. B.11.
  14. ↑ Wilson, Scott (March 13, 2009). "44 - Obama Rounds Out Staffs at Agencies". voices.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  15. 1 2 "President Biden Announces Six Key Nominations". The White House. July 2, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  16. ↑ Johnsson, Julie (March 30, 2009). "A new player awaits seat". Chicago Tribune. p. 1.19.
  17. ↑ Hirschman, Dave (February 9, 2003). "UPS and its pilots gear up for new bargaining approach". Atlanta Journal - Constitution. p. Q.1.
  18. ↑ "US Airways Forms Tentative Agreement with Association of Flight Attendants". Travel & Leisure Close - Up. August 13, 2012.
  19. ↑ "United Airlines Employees Represented by IAM Ratify New Joint Labor Pacts". Manufacturing Close - Up; Jacksonville. November 1, 2013.
  20. ↑ Freddoso, David (2011). Gangster government : Barack Obama and the new Washington thugocracy. Internet Archive. Washington, D.C. : Regnery Pub. pp. 131–132. ISBN 978-1-59698-648-0.
  21. ↑ Wilner, Frank (June 23, 2017). "Fauth Trump's second NMB nominee". Railway Age. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  22. ↑ Ferrechio, Susan (November 2, 2017). "Senate confirmation blitz includes 16 ambassadors, 11 other Trump appointees". Washington Examiner. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
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