Amid charges of forged election authorization cards and after more than a year of causing conflict and division among workers at American Airlines and US Airways, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) today abandoned its raid of mechanic and related workers at American Airlines.

Citing the federal government’s opposition to the proposed US Airways/American Airlines merger, the Teamsters now claim “continued conflict between labor organizations is not in the best interest of the workers.”

Just days after the IAM soundly defeated the Teamsters in their attempted raid on US Airways mechanics, and just days before a National Mediation Board (NMB) hearing into charges they forged election authorization cards in their raid at American, the Teamsters are now posing as champions of labor unity.

“The Teamsters don’t care about unity,” said IAM General Vice President Sito Pantoja. “They have never had the support they claimed at US Airways or American. They were afraid of the process to move forward at American.”

Earlier this year the Teamsters claimed to have obtained 2800 signed authorization cards from mechanic and related workers at US Airways but only garnered 1400 votes in this week’s election, giving credence to the IAM’s charges that many of the cards that led to the election were forged. IAM continues to insist the NMB investigate the forgery allegations.