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New Orleans— Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees at several Louisiana airports have joined forces with the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU)—the nation’s largest independent union of federal workers. The establishment of a NTEU chapter at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport—Louisiana’s largest and busiest airport—and other airports statewide brings effective workplace representation to hundreds of local frontline homeland security employees.

Serving TSA employees at airports in New Orleans, Alexandria, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette, Chapter 329 (TSA Louisiana) joins two other NTEU chapters for federal employees in the Bayou State. NTEU Chapter 8 (IRS Louisiana) and Chapter 168 (CBP New Orleans) represent hundreds of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employees statewide.

“NTEU has been responding to the concerns of TSA employees across the country who are dedicated to carrying out the security mission of their agency but who have no voice in their workplace,” said NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley. “Now, that will begin to change for TSA employees here in Louisiana. NTEU already represents thousands of TSA employees at airports nationwide and is actively working to improve their workplace.”

A leading factor in the low morale that has plagued TSA since its creation in 2001 is the lack of collective bargaining rights for its employees. “There is no reason that TSA employees should be denied the right to collectively bargain,” President Kelley said. “Through collective bargaining employees can have a say in their working conditions and help make TSA the most effective global airport security agency.”

NTEU has taken its concerns about the rights of the TSA workforce to Congress. Last month, the union’s efforts were successful as the Transportation Security Workforce Enhancement Act was approved by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. This bill, H.R. 1881, would provide TSA employees with full collective bargaining rights and move them onto the pay system that covers the majority of federal employees. The bill now awaits a vote on the House floor.

The current TSA pay system is a second factor affecting the agency’s low morale. “Employees believe that the pay system is highly subjective and dependent on the whims of management,” said Kelley. “Meanwhile their federal employee colleagues are paid on a system that recognizes merit and that has clear and transparent policies.”

Not only is fair pay and civil service protections for TSA employees a priority issue for NTEU, it also is a key component of NTEU’s comprehensive five-point plan for the TSA workforce—a concrete set of goals that will address key concerns of employees nationwide. The plan not only calls for collective bargaining rights and an end to the current pay system, it also calls for full whistleblower protections by statute; a fair shift-scheduling system and adequate staffing; and revisions to the current TSA training and recertification system.

Chapter 329 joins a growing NTEU network of 21 TSA chapters at more than two dozen airports from Maine to California, including new chapters in Charlotte, N.C., and Connecticut.

All NTEU TSA chapters operate with local staff attorneys and labor relations experts to represent employees on critical workplace issues, such as promotions, disciplinary actions, shift bidding and scheduling, overtime, performance appraisals, leave issues and alternative work schedules.

President Kelley added that NTEU is uniquely qualified to represent TSA employees given its long history of representing other federal employees who work in our nation’s airports and protect our security. NTEU has represented U.S. Customs Service employees for more than 30 years and is the exclusive representative of the 24,000-employee unit of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The largest independent federal union, NTEU represents some 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.