Posted on 03/06/2007 10:03:56 AM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - The Senate voted Tuesday to give 45,000 airport screeners the same union rights as border patrol, customs and immigration agents, despite a veto threat from the White House.
The 51-46 vote was on an amendment by Sen. Jim DeMint (news, bio, voting record), R-S.C., to remove the union rights from a broad anti-terrorism bill to implement recommendations of the 9/11 commission previously rejected by Congress.
The House passed a similar anti-terrorism bill with the same union provision for airport screeners in an indication of organized labor's strength with Democrats now running Congress.
Republicans vowed to strike the union provision when negotiators sit down to merge the House and Senate bills together to implement recommendations of the 9/11 commission previously rejected by Congress.
"We're not going to let big labor compromise national security," said Sen. Mitch McConnell (news, bio, voting record), R-Ky., noting there are not enough votes in either the House or Senate to override a veto by President Bush.
Screeners "deserve our respect, not our indifference," said Sen. Sherrod Brown (news, bio, voting record), D-Ohio. Brown said collective bargaining rights wouldn't allow screeners to strike, and would grant them basic protections from overwork, dangerous conditions and retaliation if they report security breaches.
"It's absolutely absurd," said Sen. Richard Burr (news, bio, voting record), R-N.C. "Terrorists don't go on strike. Terrorists don't call their union to negotiate before they attack."
White House officials released a statement last week saying President Bush's senior advisers would recommend that he veto the bill if it includes the union provision for screeners.
When Congress created the Homeland Security Department after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, it specifically ruled out collective bargaining rights for screeners, who were becoming federal employees under the new Transportation Security Administration.
There are about 53,000 Homeland Security employees who have collective bargaining rights, according to the American Federation of Government Employees.
The screeners' boss, TSA chief Kip Hawley, told a Senate panel Monday that giving airport screeners collective bargaining rights would hinder the agency's flexibility to move them around in response to terrorist threats.
"Going backwards to a system that adds bargaining, barriers and bureaucracy to an agency on whom travelers depend for their security can be characterized as many things, but it does not improve security," Hawley told a subcommittee of the Homeland Security committee.
John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said unions represent many other federal workers who protect the public from terrorism.
"When we hear that collective bargaining rights will affect our national security, I really take offense," said Gage, whose union represents airport screeners but not for collective bargaining purposes.
A stumbling block to Senate passage was removed Thursday when the Homeland Security Department agreed to grant states an extra year and a half to comply with new driver's license standards passed in the 2005 REAL-ID Act.
The nation's governors and Congress said there wasn't enough money for states to convert their databases or enough time to develop driver's licenses that critics complain amount to a national ID card and could promote identity theft.
The Senate bill would upgrade security on passenger and freight railroads and require all cargo carried on commercial passenger aircraft to be screened for bombs.
It would provide funds for state and local emergency communications systems, expand a visa waiver benefit for favored countries and improve intelligence sharing among federal, state and local officials.
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On the Net:
Homeland Security Department: http://www.dhs.gov
Specter is the lone R that voted with the dems..
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00060
To strike the provision that revises the personnel management practices of the Transportation Security Administration.
Not Voting - 3
Dole (R-NC)
Enzi (R-WY)
Johnson (D-SD)
Can someone post some GOOD news today? :O)
?? : )
Read: Saudi Arabia
LOLOL,, Good luck. The Ides of March came a little early this year. Global Warming? ;-)
I just saved a bundle on my car insurance by switching to GEICO.
When I was in Orlando the airport screeners didn't even understand English and could not respond to me except for nodding their heads. I found this completely disturbing.
Oh, I feel much safer now.
Does W know how to veto a bill?
The President might veto this piece of legislation. Might. Don't hold your breath.
I have a better idea. Let's get a bill passed that NO employee of the government can belong to a union.
Baggage handlers unite!
Airport screeners unite!
Burr ping!
Custodial crews unite!
People without jobs unite!
I can see strikes being authorized within 36 months. You can bring the national flight grid down...by a bunch of bulky punks in blue shirts. And the sad thing...they are paid more than most county sheriff departments deputies. I'll bet that we have a switchover to commerical contracted security within five years...back to where we started from.
Now the question is, will W follow through?
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.
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