September 24, 2010 - Collective bargaining will present the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) with a time-tested, well defined process for improving TSA workplaces and employee morale, and leading the way to developing an agency better prepared to meet its critical national security issues. 

That was the message delivered to a House subcommittee on Thursday by President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) in submitted testimony. NTEU is leading the effort to secure collective bargaining rights for the TSA workforce. 

While TSA ranked low 220th out of 224 in a recent ?Best Places to Work? survey, President Kelley told a House Homeland Security subcommittee that TSA Officers believe in their mission and love what they do.

Along with the need for collective bargaining?NTEU is seeking both an administration directive and congressional approval of H.R. 1881, which would grant such rights?the NTEU leader raised these related TSA issues with the subcommittee; pay, training, leave, worker?s compensation and labor-management relations. All are in need of serious improvement, she said. For example, Kelley noted the recent dismal showing of TSA in the Best Places ranking and said employee perceptions at TSA are that senior leaders misuse their authority, exercise it inconsistently and show little regard for employees? ideas about how to do the work better. 

?There is also a sense that work rules are too rigid, not taking into account personal emergencies or other circumstances beyond an employee?s control,? she said. NTEU is engaged is a nationwide organizing campaign among TSA Officers and has petitioned the Federal Labor Relations Authority for a union representation election at the agency. Meanwhile, on the parallel track, NTEU continues to press vigorously for TSA Officer collective bargaining rights. NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.