NTEU Mounts Public Awareness Campaign in Support of Transportation Security Officers

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) has undertaken a campaign, coinciding with holiday-season travel, to educate the public about the critical role played by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Officers in helping secure the safety of air travel.

The campaign began today with an ad in USA Today, featuring an open letter to the public from NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley, and includes an e-mail message to more than 600,000 frequent fliers; media statements; letters to the editors of some 20 newspapers; and social media outreach through Facebook. NTEU has established a web page featuring the Public Awareness Campaign with access to all the materials.

The NTEU leader said the union's effort is being spurred in part by the public reaction to a new TSA policy involving passenger pat-downs at airport screening checkpoints. "Most Americans understand, appreciate and respect the role these federal employees play in their travel safety. The Officers, in turn, understand and respect the concerns and needs of the public," she writes.

"Whatever your personal feelings about the enhanced security measures that TSA has recently implemented," President Kelley writes in the open letter, "I would ask that as you travel during this holiday season, you keep these few things in mind about the TSA workforce:

• "Frontline TSA Officers did not create the new policies;
• "Being a TSA Officer is a difficult job, and these men and women lack most of the same workplace rights a great many Americans take for granted, such as the right to collectively bargain a fair workplace contract;
• "TSA Officers understand the potential conflict between passenger comfort and convenience and enhanced security measures, so they strive to perform their duties in the most professional manner possible."

President Kelley emphasized NTEU's pride in representing thousands of TSA Officers at airports, both large and small, across the country. "We stand by them this holiday season and ask the American public to stand by them as well and respect the difficult job they perform to protect our skies and our country," she said.

NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments. More information is available at www.TSAunion.org.

SOURCE National Treasury Employees Union