TSA screeners and associated employees covered by the AFGE bargaining unit will begin voting Oct. 1 on ratifying the contract reached between the agency and the union in August.
The contract is to be the largest new agreement in the federal sector in many years, and represents the end of a decade-long process of organizing units at individual airports even in the absence of bargaining rights, and then an election against NTEU for the right to represent a national bargaining unit.
On-site voting will be conducted at some larger airports, while other covered employees will vote by mail. Voting ends November 2 and ballots are to be counted by November 9.
The contract was negotiated following TSA’s decision early in 2011 to allow bargaining, although more limited than what typically applies in unionized federal settings. Until then, AFGE and NTEU could represent employees in settings such as disciplinary proceedings but could not negotiate. Since the contract was negotiated under an administrative decision to allow bargaining, it’s unclear what its status might be if Republicans were to win the White House and desire to revert to the no-bargaining position of the Bush administration.
One of the union’s chief targets was the pay for performance system, which would be replaced by one relying less on certification tests and more on job performance observed over time.
AFGE has posted details of the agreement at http://afgetsacontract.com/
