by James Parks, Jan 9, 2007

When Democrats returned to leadership in Congress last week, they promised big changes in the First 100 Hours. Today, in one of its first major votes, the House is expected to give 56,000 airport screeners the freedom to form a union and bargain for a better life. A bill to enact recommendations of the 9-11 Commission, on the floor for a vote today, repeals a portion of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA), which gave the Bush administration authority to terminate collective bargaining for employees of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

The bill, H.R. 1, will enact most of the remaining recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, including the screening of all cargo containers shipped to the U.S. The 9/11 Commission made its proposals three years ago to prevent a repeat of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The House measure also would require screening of all air cargo, distribute more federal aid to states based on risk instead of population and provide money to improve emergency agencies’ communications gear. It includes steps aimed at preventing terrorists from gaining access to nuclear weapons.

Members of the 9/11 Commission have said the Republican-led 109th Congress only enacted half of its recommendations. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told a press conference yesterday:

Democrats will be-and hopefully we’ll be doing this in a bipartisan way-putting the protection of the American people very high on our priority list.

John Gage, president of AFGE, which represents TSA workers in disciplinary hearings, says:

Congress has ensured that TSA will no longer be allowed to deny its workers basic labor rights. TSA has subjected its employees to discrimination, retaliation, adverse actions, mandatory overtime, and fear of coming forth to report problems. It’s time to put an end to TSA’s bullying.

TSA has the highest injury and attrition rates in the federal government. The new legislation will help improve security by stabilizing the workforce and improving morale.

In 2001, airport screeners at several major airports began trying to join AFGE and continued to seek a voice at work after the federal government took over screening operations in 2002. In 2003, with workers and AFGE ready to seek elections at several airports, then-TSA Administrator James Loy used his authority to opt the government out of collective bargaining. The Bush administration tried to justify its 2002 decision to deny representation and collective bargaining rights to airport screeners at TSA on the basis of national security, even though other TSA employees, such as border guards, are allowed to join unions.

Click here for a detailed report from AFGE National Organizer Peter Winch about the screeners’ continuing effort to win a union voice at work.

The Bush administration has used the same national security argument in its bid to deny collective bargaining rights through new personnel rules to more than 700,000 U.S. Defense Department workers and 160,000 employees in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Federal courts have ruled against new personnel rules in both cases. Congress also has weighed in against the Defense Department’s so-called National Security Personnel System. But the Bush administration is appealing the Defense Department ruling in the suit brought by United DoD Workers Coalition made up of more than 30 unions that represent department workers.

Kimberly Kraynak, a TSA officer at the Pittsburgh International Airport, says on the AFGE Union Blog that TSA workers still want the full benefits of belonging to a union, such as being able to negotiate for higher wages and vacation time:

Growing up, my father was a member of the Steel Workers union so I know the benefits of a union contract and the importance of having a voice at work.

When I began working for the TSA, I quickly realized we needed to form a union to defend us from abusive management and poor treatment. 
I know things would be worse if we had not formed our union. The TSA knows AFGE is defending us, and they know we are holding them accountable, and making them abide by the law. However, we still want the full benefits of union membership.

In November, the International Labor Organization, an arm of the United Nations, ruled the Bush administration violated the “fundamental” rights of airport screeners when it prohibited the workers from achieving union representation and engaging in collective bargaining.

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