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FoxNews.com...
Unions Head for
Showdown With Senate Over TSA Representation
February 05, 2011
Unions that want to represent thousands of airport screeners are
heading for a showdown with the Senate as early as Monday, with some
lawmakers looking to revoke the collective-bargaining rights the
Transportation Security Administration just granted them.
TSA Administrator John Pistole announced for the first time Friday that
he would allow security officers to bargain over certain workplace
conditions like shifts and assignments. The decision follows months of
lobbying by the two unions vying to represent them -- screeners are set
to vote next month on whether to unionize and, if so, with whom. In
making his decision, Pistole vowed that the TSA “will not negotiate on
security.”
But that’s exactly what some lawmakers are concerned about. They’re
worried that a big union presence through the TSA ranks could stifle
the organization’s flexibility when it needs to scramble in response to
security threats. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., has introduced an
amendment to a Federal Aviation Administration bill that would
explicitly prohibit TSA screeners from collectively bargaining -- he’s
now looking for a vote on that as soon as Monday.
“The Obama administration’s actions today to move forward on unionizing
our TSA workforce with collective bargaining rights could hamper our
national security,” Wicker said in a statement, slamming the
administration for approving the “ill-advised policy” while the Senate
was considering it.
Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., who has previously described TSA unionization
as a “homeland security disaster,” said the decision would benefit
“union bosses and Democratic Party coffers” at the expense of American
security. DeMint said the collective-bargaining rights could interfere
with “minute-by-minute security decisions,” forecasting an environment
where union bosses have to approve vital changes.
“The Senate has the ability to reverse this political decision and put
security first,” he said, rallying support for Wicker’s amendment.
But supporters of TSA unionization say these warnings simply are not
realistic. For starters, TSA screeners would be prohibited from
striking, just like other federal employees. The TSA says they would
also be barred from “engaging in work slowdowns of any kind.”
Under Pistole’s plan, the unions would not be able to negotiate on
security policies, pay, job qualifications or disciplinary standards,
according to the TSA.
Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., who supports giving the workers union
rights, said Pistole’s announcement marks a step toward “higher job
performance and, therefore, better security for our nation.”
The National Treasury Employees Union is calling on senators to vote
against the Wicker amendment. According to Aviation Online Magazine,
the union sent a letter Thursday to every U.S. senator in opposition to
the proposal.
“This decision and the upcoming representation election at TSA will
give these officers a voice in their workplace and a chance at a better
future,” NTEU President Colleen Kelley said in a statement, adding that
the traveling public will be better served by a more professional
workforce.
The NTEU is competing against the American Federation of Government
Employees for the right to represent the TSA’s more than 40,000
officers. More than 13,000 of them already pay dues to a union, but
their representation is limited and they do not enjoy
collective-bargaining rights.
The decision to grant collective-bargaining rights comes after the TSA
decided against expanding a program that allowed private screeners to
replace government ones at select airports. Rep. John Mica, R-Fla.,
chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said the
two decisions taken together are “all bad news for the traveler, the
taxpayer and aviation security.”
Read it at Fox News
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