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Washington, D.C.—The long-sought union representation election among employees of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is tentatively set for a six-week period beginning March 9. It will be the largest union election in federal sector labor relations history covering more than 40,000 employees.

The leader of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) expressed confidence that NTEU will prevail and bring its well-known and highly-respected expertise in providing quality workplace representation to every bargaining unit member of this key Department of Homeland Security (DHS) workforce.

The tentative election dates were set at a consent meeting today involving representatives of NTEU, TSA, the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) and the other union to be on the ballot. This meeting, which is part of the FLRA’s processes, addressed a number of matters relating to the election, including voter eligibility, potential challenges, conduct of the campaign, and more. A few issues remain to be resolved before the consent agreement is signed and the election dates are final.

The balloting, to be conducted online and through the use of a toll-free phone number, will tentatively run from March 9 through April 19, with the FLRA to count the votes on April 20, 2011. The FLRA is the body that oversees federal labor-management relations, including union representation elections.

“NTEU continues to press strongly for collective bargaining rights,” said NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley. “This important election, together with the much-anticipated grant of collective bargaining rights, will mark the start of a new and exciting chapter for TSA employees, their agency and the traveling public.”

“I am confident that TSA Officers at airports both large and small across the country will recognize that NTEU is the most experienced, most respected and strongest voice they can have—and that they will vote accordingly,” Kelley said.

To date, the 2006 FLRA-run election covering the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) bargaining unit has been the largest representation election in federal sector history. NTEU won that election over the other union that is seeking TSA representation rights by a more than two-to-one margin.

On the matter of collective bargaining rights, President Kelley has written to and has met with TSA Administrator John Pistole concerning the importance of the issue both to the agency and its employees. Pistole, who has authority under the law creating TSA to grant its employees collective bargaining rights, has reviewed the issue and promised a decision.

“Collective bargaining is the single most meaningful way employee voices can be heard on all manner of workplace issues,” said President Kelley. “These deserving employees have been without it for far too long.” NTEU already represents thousands of TSA Officers on a wide range of matters every day, but does not yet have authority to bargain a labor contract.

Kelley said that NTEU built a strong following among the TSA workforce through its unique representational model which involves providing on-the-ground local presence and local representation of employees in TSA workplace and disciplinary matters.

“NTEU has represented CBP Officers who work at the airports for more than 30 years,” the NTEU leader said. “TSA employees want the same level of representation and respect the CBP Officers get.”

NTEU has established local chapters at more than two dozen airports and is actively organizing employees at many more.

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