Pittsburgh International Airport screener Frederick C.
Schwartz won a settlement in federal court after filing a
suit against the Transportation Security Administration
and the person who disciplined him for engaging in union
activity while on duty, said the American Federation of
Government Employees, which filed the suit on Schwartz’s
behalf.
The employee union said Schwartz and a group of employees
were told in no uncertain terms to disperse, following an
end-of-shift briefing and after having been dismissed —
and that later Schwartz was disciplined for conducting
union activity while on duty. TSA also forbids union
representation for purposes of collective bargaining.
AFGE said the settlement “compels Pittsburgh’s TSA managers
to take a class on TSA’s union organizing policy, and to
inform screeners of their rights.” It also said TSA
management agreed to not retaliate against Schwartz, and
also to remove the written discipline from his personnel
file, and to inform Pittsburgh screeners of their right to
engage in union activity while off duty.
