Public Employee Unions
Congressional Republican agree that airport screeners play a vital role in the war against terror, but they seek to deny them the basic right of unionization by claiming it would “threaten national security.”
In January, the House voted 299-128 for a bill that would repeal a provision of the five year old Aviation Transportation and Security Act, which gave Bush the authority to bar screeners from exercising the collective bargaining rights granted other federal employees.
Republicans threatened a filibuster to block passage in the Senate, but Democrats managed to pass the bill. Bush says that he will veto it, and the Republican minority in the Senate have promised to sustain his veto.
Bush compares the 45,000 men and women who screen air passengers’ luggage with the men and women who are fighting in Iraq.
Unionization enables workers to gain job security and a voice in determining their working conditions. The screeners aren’t happy with their current conditions and have a higher turnover rate than the employees of any other federal employee group and file more discrimination charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Screeners complain about being forced to work overtime without prior notice, having their working shifts arbitrarily changed, their paychecks delayed and being sexually harassed. They fear retaliation for complaining about their conditions and lack procedures to resolve grievances.
John Gage, president of The American Federation of Government Employees, wants to bargain on behalf of the screeners. The Transportation Security Agency, which employs the screeners would benefit from unionization, because employers have learned, that things go much more smoothly if there are mutually agreed upon rules and procedures for dealing with labor-management relations and the operations of the workplace. Gage says: “it’s time to put an end to TSA’s bullying.”
Unions are among the Democrats’ most effective supporters, as witnessed by their key role in the party’s midterm election victories. Therefore, Republicans are especially eager to weaken public employee unions, which directly challenge the administration’s authority.
In January, the House voted 299-128 for a bill that would repeal a provision of the five year old Aviation Transportation and Security Act, which gave Bush the authority to bar screeners from exercising the collective bargaining rights granted other federal employees.
Republicans threatened a filibuster to block passage in the Senate, but Democrats managed to pass the bill. Bush says that he will veto it, and the Republican minority in the Senate have promised to sustain his veto.
Bush compares the 45,000 men and women who screen air passengers’ luggage with the men and women who are fighting in Iraq.
Unionization enables workers to gain job security and a voice in determining their working conditions. The screeners aren’t happy with their current conditions and have a higher turnover rate than the employees of any other federal employee group and file more discrimination charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Screeners complain about being forced to work overtime without prior notice, having their working shifts arbitrarily changed, their paychecks delayed and being sexually harassed. They fear retaliation for complaining about their conditions and lack procedures to resolve grievances.
John Gage, president of The American Federation of Government Employees, wants to bargain on behalf of the screeners. The Transportation Security Agency, which employs the screeners would benefit from unionization, because employers have learned, that things go much more smoothly if there are mutually agreed upon rules and procedures for dealing with labor-management relations and the operations of the workplace. Gage says: “it’s time to put an end to TSA’s bullying.”
Unions are among the Democrats’ most effective supporters, as witnessed by their key role in the party’s midterm election victories. Therefore, Republicans are especially eager to weaken public employee unions, which directly challenge the administration’s authority.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home