Senate Republican Seeks To Block TSA Collective Bargaining Rights

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Senate Republican Seeks To Block TSA Collective Bargaining Rights By Mike Mitchell

		February 4, 2011 - The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) on Thursday sent a letter to every member of the Senate calling for defeat of an unwise amendment that would exclude Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees from collective bargaining rights. The amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration authorization bill was to be offered by Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). ?The amendment is ill-advised on many fronts,? NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley, wrote to senators. ?First, the TSA Administrator has just finished a review of how collective bargaining could be implemented at TSA, keeping security of our traveling public uppermost in that review. ?We should allow him to proceed. Second, the majority of the TSA workforce has expressed an interest in representation, and poor morale at TSA contributes to inefficiencies at the agency.?

Along with the letter from President Kelley, NTEU members are reaching out to their senators asking them to vote ?no? on the amendment. In her letter, Kelley pointed out that many federal employees charged with national security responsibilities?Customs and Border Protection Officers, Border Patrol Officers, Bureau of Prison Guards?already have collective bargaining rights, while excelling in their duties and fulfilling their agencies? critical missions. Moreover, she said, there is no place in the federal workforce where there exists a more dire need for collective bargaining than TSA. Employees there labor under a system that has almost completely demoralized them, contributing to one of the highest attrition rates in the government, and high on-the-job injuries. ?Collective bargaining helps to develop fair, credible and transparent processes without interfering with management rights to accomplish agency missions,? Kelley wrote. ?We can strengthen TSA by providing its workers with such processes, and with a voice in the development of workplace quality standards that will make the traveling public even safer.? NTEU is leading the effort to secure such rights for them, working both with the administration and members of Congress on that issue. Under the law, Administrator Pistole has the right to issue a directive granting collective bargaining rights. NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing more than 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.

Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), ?Nearly ten years after September 11, 2001, we must remain mindful of the active threats to our nation,? said Wicker. ?Safeguarding America?s transportation requires both vigilance and flexibility. Burdensome and costly union demands could limit the ability of those responsible for security at some of the most high-risk targets to do their job.

		Wicker?s amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization bill (S.223) would exclude more than 40,000 TSA personnel from collective bargaining. The 2001 law that created TSA gives the administrator authority to decide whether or not unionizing is allowed. The Bush-era administrator issued a memorandum stating that unions could not collectively bargain on behalf of TSA employees. The Obama Administration, mindful of workers rights has allowed collective bargaining to move forward. On November 12, 2010, the Federal Labor Relations Authority also decided that TSA employees will be allowed to vote on union representation. Balloting is tentatively scheduled for March 9 through April 19, 2011. Other News Stories Northrop's E-2D Hawkeye Completes First Carrier Landing FAA, JetBlue To Bring NextGen Precision To East Coast, Caribbean Routes Brendan Airways Pilots Withdraw From Voluntary ASAP Average Domestic Air Fares Up 10% Highest Newark Lowest Atlantic City OIG To Review FAA?s Air Traffic Facility Realignment And Consolidation TSA Testing Airport Imaging Software To Enhance Passenger Privacy FAA Certifies Alakai?s Flight Data System (FDM) On AS350 Helicopters Aviation Pioneer Founder Of Kaman Aircraft Passed Away At 91 Pilot?s Roles And Responsibilities During Visual Approaches TSA Halts Private Security Applications At Our Nation?s Airports Air New Zealand?s All Black A320 Touches Down At LAX Airport Boeing Rejects The WTO?s Final Findings DOT Secretary Views On ?The Future of Aviation In America? Pilot Leaders From 7 US Airways Express Airlines Finalize Alliance Southwest Airlines Donates $300,000 In Travel To Help Make-A-Wish Foundation Court Ruling Helps Preserve Access To Santa Monica Airport Lightspeed Aviation Provides $100,000 To Aviation Related Charities Hartsfield-Jackson Remains Busiest Airport In The World Aerobatic Single Place Folding Wing Aircraft Makes First Flight Boeing Receives $1.6B Contract For P-8A Poseidon Aircraft Proposed Change To Irish And UK Airspace Transition Altitude Jeppesen, India?s Jet Airways Sign 5 Year EFB Class 2 Contract EADS CEO Testifies Before SASC On The KC-X Competition Disclosure FAA Approves Croatia As Meeting International Aviation Standards Airbus A330 MRTT Performs ?Wet Contacts? With Two F-18 Fighters Canada?s DATS Receives AMO Certification On The SAAB 340 Aircraft The 5Th And Final Flight Test For The G650 Aircraft Took To The Skies Historic Aircraft Collection, Airport, And Endowment Donated To College