DHS secretary Janet Napolitano is trying to determine whether she has the authority to grant collective bargaining rights to TSA employees.
She told the House Homeland Security Committee that the agency’s general counsel is looking into the matter.
TSA employees can join unions but lack any bargaining power. Unions have long set their sights on having a greater say in the national security arena, and particularly at TSA.
"President Obama has indicated his support of collective bargaining rights for TSA employees and I would hope and expect that would happen in the very near future," said the president of the National Treasury Employees Union, Colleen Kelley. Both NTEU and the American Federation of Government Employees have been organizing locals at airports in hopes of eventually having full bargaining rights for the more than 40,000 screeners.
In a campaign letter to unions last year Obama called for collective bargaining for TSOs, adding that, "agreements also provide an excellent structure to address issues such as a fair promotion system, the scheduling of overtime, shift rotation, health and safety improvements."