I really didn't want to do this but I have to correct you on this. You are WRONG about 50% of cards needing to be signed to bring it to an election. It's only 35%.
It has already been covered, but it is indeed 50% of all in craft needed to sign a representation card in order for a petition for a certification vote as of now under RLA rules.
It was one of those 'weird' outcomes of the negotiations in 2010. You are correct, previously it was 35% of craft needed to sign a representation card in order to petition for a vote - THEN 50%+1 of ALL IN CRAFT needed to vote 'yes' in order to actually certify was the operating rule.
Delta Airlines had a role in getting the language changed in order to prevent a petition from even getting off the ground. They actually got burned, since in previous certification votes, Delta execs told their employees that ' choosing not to vote equates to a 'no' vote for union' (in any certification election). Well, with the change in operating rules, if an employee choose not to vote in a certification election, they weren't counted in the proportion as being defaulted to a 'no' vote. Companies under RLA wanted the requirement that the election required 'yes' votes in the amount of 50%+1 of ALL in craft (in essence, counting those choosing not to cast a ballot as default no votes). Delta actually had a certification vote among its flight attendants (I think) that required Delta management to change their tactic and tell employees that didn't want to certify that they HAD to vote no - or else a union would've been voted in. I didn't follow the event closely, but the change in rules caused some problems for Delta.
The whole thing was one of those issues which were 'horse traded' in the negotiations; an increase in the percentage (35 to 50) to petition for a vote, but a change in how a majority is determined (soft majority instead of a hard majority) in a certification vote.
So with the way things are now, the signing of rep cards IS the actual vote for a union under RLA. Because that requires a HARD 50% majority. If that manages to get through the petition process and a certification vote is to be held, the requirement drops to 50% majority of those CHOOSING to vote in the certification election (soft majority) to get a union. Well, if a hard majority signs union rep cards - then it goes that the actual certification election would merely be a pro forma event - the outcome would already be pretty much determined.
This is why in the highly unlikely event that the Express Couriers ever do manage to pull off a drive to get a petition approved for a vote - that Express would fight tooth and nail to prevent the verification of signed union cards, then do everything in their power to prevent such a vote from occurring - but this is all merely speculation on something at this point in time which will, in all reality, never happen (from what I've seen on here in the past 4 years and especially in the past 4 weeks).