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NTEU’s Kelley Calls TSA Anti-Union Decision “An Insult” To Public Employees Fighting Terrorism

Press Release January 10, 2003

Washington, D.C.—The leader of the nation’s largest independent union of federal workers today described as “politics at its worst” and “an insult” a decision by the head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to deny union representation to some 56,000 federalized airport security screeners.

“In every state in America, unionized workers—firefighters, police, emergency medical personnel, border security workers, air traffic controllers, and many others—are at the front lines of protecting the nation’s security day in and day out,” said President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU).

“To say that union representation is not compatible with doing what must be done to protect Americans against terrorism is truly an insult to the integrity, professionalism and dedication of a broad range of hard-working public employees,” she said.

The NTEU leader was responding to a decision by TSA chief James M. Loy to block efforts to unionize airport security screeners. News reports quoted Loy as suggesting that national security is “not compatible” with a unionized workforce.

President Kelley said the TSA decision on unionization, which came more than a year after creation of the agency, “highlights the concerns” of workers headed for the new Department of Homeland Security.

NTEU represents some 12,000 employees of the Customs Service, who would be among the 170,000 employees from 22 agencies and departments who will make up the new department.

“We said during the lengthy debate on creating the homeland security department that national security concerns have no place being used as a cover to attack the collective bargaining rights of front-line federal employees,” President Kelley said.

“Given the strong pro-management bent of this administration, its action with respect to the TSA can only heighten the anxiety about their rights—and indeed, about their very futures—that has been growing among federal employees, whether or not they are headed to the Department of Homeland Security,” she said.

As the largest independent federal union, NTEU represents some 150,000 employees in 28 agencies and departments.

Contact: NTEU-PR@NTEU.org, 202-572-5500