Aviation securityUnions rally against proposed TSA cuts
The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) is rallying against two proposed amendments that would cut the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) budget and limit its employees’ collective bargaining rights; the union is urging the Senate to reject the two amendments in the 2012 DHS budget that the House passed; the amendment to cut $300 million from TSA’s budget comes as part of a broader turf war between two House Republican chairmen
The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) is rallying against two proposed amendments that would cut the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) budget and limit its employees’ collective bargaining rights.
The union is urging the Senate to reject the two amendments in the 2012 DHS budget that the House passed. The first provision would cut nearly $300 million in TSA funding resulting in the loss of 8,000 jobs while the second would stop funding to implement collective bargaining rights for TSA employees.
The proposed collective bargaining amendment threatens the recent TSA agreement that would allow security screeners to have union representation and limited collective bargaining rights. TSA employees are currently voting to determine which union will represent them. The election ends 21 June.
Colleen M. Kelley, the president of NTEU, which represents many TSA employees, sent letters to four key senators urging them to not vote for the House amendments.
She argued, the loss of collective bargaining rights “would deal a significant blow to morale at the agency,” and “poor morale at TSA contributes to inefficiencies at the agency.”
The NTEU president sent letters to Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Mary Landrieu (D- Louisiana), the chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Senator Joseph Lieberman (I - Connecticut), the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Senator Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), the chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management and the Federal Workforce.
Currently, Representative King, who is the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, oversees TSA as airport security checkpoints are manned by DHS employees.
Representative Mica, who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, argues that his committee should have oversight over TSA as that is the sole transportation agency his committee does not jurisdiction over.
By cutting funding, Mica’s amendment effectively forces TSA to hire private security screeners, removing DHS from the equation as well as the House Homeland Security Committee.
In response to Mica’s proposal, Kelley wrote, “TSA has opposed the cuts, indicating that they seek a seamless security system that is more easily achieved with federal employees.”
“Cuts of this magnitude are unwarranted and will damage the traveling safety of the public. It will have a significant impact on TSA Officers’ ability to do their jobs.”
