Intro
The above title was an article published by Eric Lipton on February 4, 2011. According to this article, the Director of Transportation Security Administration made an announcement allowing that I union would bargain over working conditions on behalf of 45,000 national airport security personnel. This announcement ended a debate that had brought contradictions for over a decade, although it still failed to address negotiations relating to pay of these staffs.
According to this article, the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who had led the transportation beginning from June 2010 promised to ensure that he collective bargaining by the airport security becomes legalized on specific topics to include rules governing workplace transfers, vacation, time and sift assignments, and recognition for commendable work. He also assured that if this became a reality, the negotiations would take place on a national platform and not with the local or state union affiliates.
In a statement recorded by this article, he mentioned that the safety of travelling public is a national priority. He said they would not compromise their security negotiations. The article further mentions the upcoming event of March 2011, where the national security officers would vote for one of the two unions they would deem appropriate to represent them. They would also choose if they would not wish to have a union at all to represent them. However, the article reminds that even if the security officer vote in favor of having a union to represent them, traditionally negotiated topics such as job qualification rules, pay, retirement benefits, security equipment and disciplinary standards would not form part of the union responsibilities.
The two unions that were competing to represent the security officers were the National Treasury Employees Union and the American Federation of Government employees.
