Home Media Center News Releases

Washington, D.C.—The leader of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) today welcomed the nomination of Erroll G. Southers by the Obama Administration to be the next administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Southers is currently the assistant chief for the Los Angeles World Airports Police Department Office of Homeland Security and Intelligence.

NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley said Southers’ appointment will provide TSA with stability and credibility as the union continues its effort to provide the agency’s workforce with full collective bargaining rights and fair pay. Since its inception in 2001, TSA has been plagued by a lack of basic civil service protections.

“I look forward to working with Southers on several issues impacting the TSA workforce—most important, the implementation of employees’ collective bargaining rights,” President Kelley said. “Collective bargaining rights will help address the terrible wrongs that these employees face on a daily basis and will allow TSA to become a world-class airport security agency.”

NTEU is fighting both in Congress and administratively for the right of TSA employees to bargain collectively; calling for them to be moved from an unfair pay system to the General Schedule, which now covers most other federal employees; arguing for their right to full whistleblower protections; and representing them effectively in a wide range of day-to-day workplace issues. Under the law establishing TSA, the agency head has the authority to grant TSOs the right to bargain collectively; to date, none have chosen to do so.

Many federal employees involved in securing the nation’s ports of entry already have collective bargaining rights, including NTEU-represented employees at U.S. Customs and Border Protection. NTEU is in the midst of an aggressive and successful organizing campaign within TSA, already representing thousands of TSA employees at airports from coast to coast.

Kelley also said she plans to address union concerns about increased costs and potential airport security gaps due to high workforce injury and attrition rates with the new TSA administrator. These issues were part of a discussion NTEU recently had with senior TSA leaders, including TSA Acting Administrator Gale Rossides. At the July 28 meeting, President Kelley and a delegation of NTEU TSA leaders outlined recommendations—presented in a formal white paper—that would immediately address many serious workforce issues.

“There is no reason that TSA employees should be denied the right to collectively bargain,” said Kelley. “Collective bargaining and a fair, transparent and credible pay system would put TSA in a much better position to perform its vital national security function.”

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee yesterday voted to approve legislation—H.R. 1881—that would provide TSA employees with full collective bargaining rights by statute and end the agency’s often-criticized pay system. The measure was first approved by the House Homeland Security Committee in July and now moves to the full House for a vote.

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