FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 09, 2010
March 09, 2010
Emily Ryan
(202) 639-6421
(202) 639-6421
AFGE Petition for Union Election at TSA Moves Forward
(WASHINGTON)—The American Federation of Government Employees today applauded the Federal Labor Relations Authority prompt handling of its petition for exclusive union representation at the Transportation Security Administration.
The FLRA on March 2 moved forward with AFGE’s petition for an election at TSA by directing the agency to provide the FLRA with documents needed to make a decision on whether a union election should be held.
In a letter to TSA Assistant Administrator for Human Capital Richard Whitford, FLRA Acting Regional Director Peter Sutton asked Whitford to provide a list of employees described in AFGE’s petition, which are non-supervisory Transportation Security Officers in pay bands D, E, F, and G. Sutton also asked for a list of employees who won’t be part of the bargaining unit, including supervisors and TSA headquarters staff. Sutton further asked for TSA’s position on AFGE’s petition, which seeks to determine whether TSOs wish to be represented by a union for the purpose of collective bargaining.
TSA has until March 12 to turn in the information. The agency also has been asked to put up a notice of petition at airports across the country to notify employees about the petition.
“The process of determining who TSOs want to bargain their contract is one that the FLRA takes very seriously,” AFGE President John Gage said. “We are confident that an election will take place very soon.”
AFGE on Feb. 22 filed the FLRA petition, stating that “By settling the question of representation first, AFGE will be ready to begin negotiations as soon as the bargaining rights are established.”
“TSOs have been waiting for too long and they need a union that will be innovative in its approach to securing the rights to which they are entitled,” Gage added. “More than 13,000 TSOs in more than 100 airports nationwide already have expressed interest in having AFGE as their union, and we look forward to welcoming the rest of the bargaining unit workforce into our union.”
AFGE’s petition and the FLRA letter to TSA can be found at www.tsaunion.net.
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