Aer Rianta workers could win six seats or more at next year's Dublin City and Fingal council elections, if a plan to have SIPTU members contest the ballots goes ahead.
The union is expected to announce initial details of the plan, which is currently under consideration, by Saturday morning.
Unions are currently balloting on industrial action at Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports; the result of this wider ballot should also be known by the weekend.
Speaking to ireland.comthis morning, SIPTU Civil Aviation branch secretary Mr Dermot O'Loughlin indicated that the union was confident of drawing on wide localised support for its cause, if it ran candidates based in north Dublin.
"When you consider the votes of our members, their families and broader public support, we estimate that six SIPTU members could be elected next year," he said.
"We're erring on the side of caution with that figure. With proper vote management, it could well be more," Mr O'Loughlin added.
A similar strategy for the Cork branch is under consideration this morning. If it receives a favourable response there, it will shortly be put to other unions.
The idea to run candidates has sprung from SIPTU's own research, conducted as part of its wider 'Save Our Airports' campaign, launched in opposition to the plans of Transport Minister Seamus Brennan to break-up Aer Rianta.
The SIPTU survey revealed that 90 per cent of the company's staff lived in one of the five Dublin constituencies, or county Meath, and that up to 5,000 votes were available in the relevant electoral areas.
SIPTU currently employs 1,400 workers at Dublin airport.
Unions at airports in Dublin, Shannon and Cork are all balloting on industrial action in reaction to the Minister's plans to dismantle Aer Rianta and replace it with three separate management boards.
However, no immediate action is expected from unions.