[L]ast year…the National Mediation Board decided to change a…rule that governs union elections at airlines and railroads. Since 1935, workers in those industries had to follow a rule that required a majority of all employees to vote in favor of a union. Those employees who chose not to participate in the election were counted as "no" votes…[F]light attendant unions at Atlanta-based Delta repeatedly lost union elections under the old rules, and the airline has vigorously resisted unionization efforts. Some Democrats have blamed Delta for pushing the stalemate, as the airline spent more than $2 million over the past year on lobbying, including a push to reverse the new rule. "What happened with the rule change process undermined the integrity of our government," Delta spokeswoman Gina Laughlin said. "The NMB is supposed to be neutral and operate in a fair and balanced manner, but that's not what happened here."[also refers to Boeing]