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Washington, D.C.—The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) today announced an extensive pre-holiday travel campaign to educate the public about the critical role played by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Officers in helping secure the safety of air travel.

The campaign, which will continue through the holiday season, will include a substantial ad in tomorrow’s edition of USA Today, featuring an open letter to the public from NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley; an e-mail message to more than 600,000 frequent fliers; media statements; letters to the editors of some 20 newspapers; and social media outreach through Facebook.

President Kelley’s open letter cites the common ground among members of the public and TSA Officers. “Most Americans understand, appreciate and respect the role these federal employees play in their travel safety. The Officers, in turn, understand and respect the concerns and needs of the public,” she writes.

The NTEU leader said the union’s effort is being spurred in part by the public reaction to a new TSA policy involving passenger pat-downs at airport screening checkpoints.

“Whatever your personal feelings about the enhanced security measures that TSA has recently implemented,” President Kelley writes in the open letter, “I would ask that as you travel during this holiday season, you keep these few things in mind about the TSA workforce:

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“Frontline TSA Officers did not create the new policies. Enhanced security measures were put in place by TSA. TSA Officers are charged with carrying out those measures and keeping the traveling public safe.

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“Not only is being a TSA Officer a difficult job, these men and women lack most of the same workplace rights a great many Americans take for granted, such as the right to collectively bargain a fair workplace contract;

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“TSA Officers understand the potential conflict between passenger comfort and convenience and enhanced security measures, so they strive to perform their duties in the most professional manner possible.”

She emphasized NTEU’s pride in representing thousands of TSA Officers at airports, both large and small, across the country and the union’s pledge to support them in their mission of ensuring the safety of every passenger on every flight every day of the year.

“We stand by them this holiday season and ask the American public to stand by them as well and respect the difficult job they perform to protect our skies and our country,” she said.

Earlier this month, the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), which oversees federal sector labor-management relations, supported a union representation election among TSA employees despite their lack of collective bargaining rights.

President Kelley said that while NTEU is prepared for the election and expects to win, it is continuing its lead role in the ongoing battle to secure collective bargaining rights for TSA employees.

Immediately after the FLRA decision, President Kelley sent a letter to TSA Administrator John Pistole, calling on him to issue a directive granting such rights, and noting that the FLRA order in the absence of collective bargaining rights underscores the importance and urgency of such a directive.

NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.