TSA Union Rights Push Suffers Setback

By: fedweek

The Senate in passing its version (S-4) of a bill to carry out recommendations of the 9-11 Commission dropped language that the House approved earlier in its version (HR-1) that would have granted Transportation Security Administration screeners union organizing rights. The measures now move to conference, but the view on Capitol Hill is that the Senate move effectively kills the language, which has been a priority of federal unions hoping to organize the screeners but was the subject of a veto threat from the White House. The measure could yet expand the rights of TSA screeners in other ways, however, for example by broadening their appeal rights and giving them the same whistleblower protections that apply to federal employees in general. Also, unions will work to attach union rights language to other legislation.