FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 08, 2003
July 08, 2003
Diane Witiak
(202) 639-6419
(202) 639-6419
AFGE To Continue TSA Union Campaign
(Washington, D.C.)—Bobby L. Harnage, Sr., National President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), today issued the following statement in response to the Federal Labor Relations Authority’s (Boston Region) ruling refusing to accept jurisdiction over the union’s representation petitions for employees of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA):
“It is not surprising that the regional director took a pro-administration view. After all, the FLRA regional director serves at the will of the FLRA’s General Counsel who is appointed by the President.
“This is an issue for the court to decide. An unbiased, independent decision on an issue as critical as this can only be resolved at the judicial level.
“AFGE will be filing for summary judgment in the next few weeks with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
“It’s regrettable that TSA does not see the connection between a high- performance workforce and the right of employees to resolve workplace problems through the collective bargaining process. Admiral Loy refuses to accept the value of a strong labor-management relationship where the employees have a voice through their elected union representatives.
“This decision has absolutely no impact on AFGE’s organizing campaign. This TSA campaign is unlike any other in the last 50 years, because the employees are actually unionizing themselves with AFGE as the vehicle. The campaign can’t be stopped and it won’t be stopped.”
“It is not surprising that the regional director took a pro-administration view. After all, the FLRA regional director serves at the will of the FLRA’s General Counsel who is appointed by the President.
“This is an issue for the court to decide. An unbiased, independent decision on an issue as critical as this can only be resolved at the judicial level.
“AFGE will be filing for summary judgment in the next few weeks with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
“It’s regrettable that TSA does not see the connection between a high- performance workforce and the right of employees to resolve workplace problems through the collective bargaining process. Admiral Loy refuses to accept the value of a strong labor-management relationship where the employees have a voice through their elected union representatives.
“This decision has absolutely no impact on AFGE’s organizing campaign. This TSA campaign is unlike any other in the last 50 years, because the employees are actually unionizing themselves with AFGE as the vehicle. The campaign can’t be stopped and it won’t be stopped.”
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