NTEU worked out the details of the agreement with the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), TSA management and the other union seeking exclusive representation of this key Department of Homeland Security workforce. It calls for voting to be conducted by the FLRA through either the use of the Internet or a toll-free phone number. In March, the FLRA will mail voter information packages to each eligible TSA voter, which will include instructions as well as a unique voter identification number and personal identification number.  

The agreement further calls for TSA to notify employees of the election in the workplace; identifies which employees are eligible to vote; spells out how objections to the conduct of the election may be filed; and addresses a number of related matters. Outstanding issues surrounding the wording of the election agreement in light of TSA Administrator?s collective bargaining determination were resolved prior to the agreement being signed. The votes are to be tallied on the morning of April 20, at the FLRA?s headquarters in Washington. The FLRA is the body that oversees federal sector labor-management relations, including union representation elections.  

This critical step in the process comes in the wake of NTEU?s success in securing collective bargaining rights for the TSA workforce. NTEU had been leading that battle for some time, working with the administration and members of Congress on the subject. TSA employees have had the right to join a union?thousands of them have joined NTEU already, and are receiving effective day-to-day workplace representation?but until this determination by TSA Administrator John S. Pistole, they were not able to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement.