AFGE Local 1764

(WASHINGTON)—The American Federation of Government Employees today applauded the Federal Labor Relations Authority prompt handling of its petition for exclusive union representation at the Transportation Security Administration.

The FLRA on March 2 moved forward with AFGE’s petition for an election at TSA by directing the agency to provide the FLRA with documents needed to make a decision on whether a union election should be held.

In a letter to TSA Assistant Administrator for Human Capital Richard Whitford, FLRA Acting Regional Director Peter Sutton asked Whitford to provide a list of employees described in AFGE’s petition, which are non-supervisory Transportation Security Officers in pay bands D, E, F, and G. Sutton also asked for a list of employees who won’t be part of the bargaining unit, including supervisors and TSA headquarters staff. Sutton further asked for TSA’s position on AFGE’s petition, which seeks to determine whether TSOs wish to be represented by a union for the purpose of collective bargaining.

TSA has until March 12 to turn in the information. The agency also has been asked to put up a notice of petition at airports across the country to notify employees about the petition.

“The process of determining who TSOs want to bargain their contract is one that the FLRA takes very seriously,” AFGE President John Gage said. “We are confident that an election will take place very soon.”

AFGE on Feb. 22 filed the FLRA petition, stating that “By settling the question of representation first, AFGE will be ready to begin negotiations as soon as the bargaining rights are established.”

“TSOs have been waiting for too long and they need a union that will be innovative in its approach to securing the rights to which they are entitled,” Gage added. “More than 13,000 TSOs in more than 100 airports nationwide already have expressed interest in having AFGE as their union, and we look forward to welcoming the rest of the bargaining unit workforce into our union.”

AFGE’s petition and the FLRA letter to TSA can be found at www.tsaunion.net.

WASHINGTON - According to news reports, President Obama plans to nominate Robert A. Harding to become the TSA administrator. Multiple news sources say that the retired major general will be announced today, ending weeks of speculation about who the White House would name to the long-vacant post of TSA administrator. Key points about the nominee are:

• Harding "has the experience ... to make a real difference," said an administration official
• Harding, who served 33 years in Army, would be the TSA's first African-American administrator
• He once was Defense Department's senior human intelligence officer

“We are thrilled that the administration has moved so quickly. This important homeland security post has been vacant for far too long,” said AFGE National President John Gage upon learning of the selection of Harding. “Mr. Harding has an impressive military record with more than three decades of service in the U.S. Army and has an exceptional background in intelligence matters. From what we can see, his credentials to lead the TSA are sound. We look forward to meeting with him after his confirmation.”

Last month, AFGE filed a representation petition with the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) calling for a union election for TSOs nationwide. The petition, which speaks only to the question concerning representation by a union, is seen as one of two parallel tracks the union has been involved in to win collective bargaining and union representation for the 40,000-person Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

• President Obama Announces His Intent to Nominate Robert A. Harding to lead the Transportation Security Administration
• Major General (Retired) Robert A. Harding Biography