Bush Likely to Veto
Congress Advances Union for Screeners

By GINGER ADAMS OTIS

Forty-five thousand airport security screeners who work for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security moved closer to having the same union rights as Border Patrol Officers and Customs and Immigration Agents under a piece of legislation passed March 6 by the U.S. Senate.

JOSEPH LIEBERMAN: Carries labor bill.

Despite a veto threat from the White House, which has said national security could be compromised if Transportation Security Officers are allowed to collectively bargain their working conditions and benefits, the Senate has voted in favor of unionization rights for the screeners.

9/11 Panel Proposal

The bill's byzantine process through the Senate began with an addendum from Sen. Joseph Lieberman, a Connecticut Independent who caucuses with the Democrats, that sought to grant union rights to the security workers following suggestions made by the 9/11 Commission Recommendations bill.

Mr. Lieberman's addition gave the screeners full employment rights, including the right to collective bargaining. It was challenged by U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, a Republican from South Carolina, who submitted an amendment stripping the union language from the bill.

JOHN GAGE: Anti-labor stance 'offensive.'

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada moved to table Mr. DeMint's motion, which the Senate then did by a vote of 51 to 46 last week.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a similar anti-terrorism bill that contained a nearly-identical provision for TSO union rights last month. The successful passage of both measures is an indication of the labor movement's strength in the Democratically-controlled Congress, but Republicans have vowed to strike union provisions during negotiations to reconcile the two versions.

Standing Up to 'Big Labor'

Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky told the Associated Press that his party was "not going to let Big Labor compromise national security." He also noted that there are not enough votes in either the House or Senate to override a veto by President Bush.

Democratic Senators responded that collective-bargaining rights wouldn't give TSOs leeway to strike, but would simply strengthen existing workplace protections.

White House officials released a statement two weeks ago stating that senior advisers to the Bush Administration would recommend that the President veto the bill if it includes the union provision for screeners.

When Congress created the Homeland Security Department in the wake of 9/11, it ruled out collective-bargaining rights for screeners, who were becoming Federal employees under the new Transportation Security Administration.

'Terrorists Don't Bargain'

"It's absolutely absurd," Sen. Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican, said to the Associated Press. "Terrorists don't go on strike. Terrorists don't call their union to negotiate before they attack."

The American Federation of Government Employees, however, says that about 53,000 other Homeland Security employees have collective-bargaining rights.

"When we hear that collective-bargaining rights will affect our national security, I really take offense," said AFGE President John Gage. His union represents airport screeners, but not for collective-bargaining purposes.

He added that "many people, including some in the Senate, have falsely stated that allowing TSOs [union] rights would hamper national security. That is completely untrue. DHS employees at every agency, including Border Patrol and Federal Protective Service, are unionized, and should be insulted at the insinuation that they are not doing their jobs to the best of their ability."

Mr. Gage also told the Senate that the American public would benefit from having a "stabilized" work force conducting security screenings.