Airport screeners gaining limited union rights

[SpartanDem]

Source: BusinessWeek

After nearly a decade of wrangling, the Transportation Security Administration said Friday more than 40,000 airport screeners will get limited collective bargaining rights, strengthening their voice in work conditions but barring them from striking or negotiating over pay or security procedures.

The decision -- though limited -- won praise from government worker unions and many TSA workers, who fought to win the same protections as other federal employees despite claims from Republican lawmakers that union demands could jeopardize national security or slow response times in a crisis.

The agency's administrator, John Pistole, said the decision will allow bargaining on a national level over certain employment issues such as setting work shifts, transfers, vacation time and awards. The deal prohibits negotiating on issues that might affect security, the deployment of security personnel, job qualifications, testing or discipline. It also bars any work slowdowns.

"Florida Rep. John Mica, Republican chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, called the decision "an Obama union payoff" and said it would hamstring the government's fight against terrorism.



Read more: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9L66ESG0.htm

[RC]

1. Now, if the airline passengers could get some rights...

[howaboutme]

2. Yeah I know some might disagree and it

might piss some people off, but I've never been a big fan of government labor unions and their ability to strike. I'm in favor of strikes when needed against corporate employers, but NEVER by public servants striking against taxpayers. To summarize, I totally oppose strikes and organized bargaining by government workers.

Striking workers need to balance their need for more against a risk of pushing their employer beyond their ability to pay, and when it comes to taxpayers I have never see that limitation or ability being a consideration.

I totally and unambiguously support private sector unions in every segment of our economy as well as the right to effectively and efficiently organize with card check. I don't buy into it with government workers because our politicians are far too willing to hand over other people's money to make their lives easier.

[Omaha Steve]

3. And you are just one of the people that want to take away my right to be in a union THIS YEAR!

Your a Dem? I can't see it.

I can't strike by law. And I must accept a wage of the mid point (50%) of other unions of my comparable by state law too.

Here is the law the legislature is having a hearing on Monday.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110120/NEWS01/701209835/1101655#bills-strike-at-state-labor-panel

LB 664 would bar public employees from going on strike or engaging in a work slowdown and would prohibit state and local governments from recognizing employees unions. The measure also would abolish the CIR. Sen. John Nelson of Omaha, who introduced the bill, last week proposed a state constitutional amendment that would prohibit collective bargaining by governments.

[Omaha Steve]

4. Unions Can Bargain on Behalf of Airport Security (DUPE BY A FEW MINUTES :-) )

Source: NY Times

By ERIC LIPTON

WASHINGTON — Seeking to end a debate that has brewed for nearly a decade, the director of the Transportation Security Administration announced on Friday that a union would be allowed to bargain over working conditions on behalf of the nation’s 45,000 airport security officers, although certain issues like pay will not be subject to negotiation.

The question of whether unions can negotiate on behalf of airport security workers has been a repeated topic of partisan debate on Capitol Hill, at times threatening to hold up major pieces of legislation or even the Senate confirmation of the agency’s director.

John S. Pistole, the former deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who has served as head of the transportation agency since last June, announced Friday that he would used the power granted to him by Congress to authorize collective bargaining by airport security personnel on a limited set of topics, including rules governing who gets priorities for vacation time and shift assignments, how workplace transfers take place and how employees are recognized for commendable work. The negotiations will take place on a national level, not with state or local union affiliates.

The nation’s security officers are tentatively scheduled to vote in early March for one of two unions that have competed for the right to represent them, or not to have a union at all. But if they choose a union, they will not be able to turn to it to bargain on their behalf for such traditionally negotiated topics as pay, retirement benefits, job qualification rules, disciplinary standards or issues related to security procedures, like what security equipment they must use or when and where they are deployed.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/05/us/05unionize.html?_r=1&smid=tw-nytimes

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FULL story at link.

[Kingofalldems]

5. I like it!

All workers should have the right to bargain.