Labor & Employment Law

Union Members Join in Solidarity with Transportation Security Officers

By Seth Michaels

At 23 major airports across the country, transportation security officers (TSOs) and union members working in the airline industry and airports held rallies and showed their support last week for TSO bargaining rights, which these employees have been denied since 2001. 

Although TSOs have been denied their freedom to collectively bargain, thousands have joined AFGE, receiving representation and assistance in cases of discrimination and on-the-job mistreatment. 

AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker joined union members and local officials in Atlanta for a press conference Friday, and union members showed support for TSOs from Boston to Honolulu, from Seattle to Minnesota, Miami and other places.

Holt Baker said union members need to work together to ensure that TSOs have a voice on the job: 

These workers know the best way to ensure they are treated fairly and can perform their crucial duties to the best of their ability is by joining together in a union. 

As long as America’s TSOs are denied their basic workplace rights, the rights of every one of us are endangered. And we will not sit idly by while anyone tries to single out a group of workers and steal their ability to join together based on sensational claims and falsehoods. 

AFGE President John Gage says the show of solidarity by other union members is a source of strength for TSOs fighting for a voice on the job: 

AFGE has been in a campaign to restore the workplace protections stolen from TSOs for eight years. It’s been a long and difficult fight, and our TSO members tell us they often feel tired and defeated. The TSOs are so close to getting the collective bargaining rights they so desperately need. It’s more important than ever that we all show support for this dedicated workforce. 

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka has pledged that the union movement will support the efforts of TSOs to win bargaining rights for more than 40,000 workers on the front lines of transportation security.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on December 22, 2009 (boomark / email).