U.S. Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee, Nita Lowey and Hundreds of Union Activists to Rally With AFGE on Feb. 23 in Support of TSA Bargaining Rights

News provided by

American Federation of Government Employees

Feb 22, 2010, 02:10 ET

Jackson Lee, Union presidents, TSA workers to speak at event

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hundreds of supporters from various labor unions will gather February 23 to show support for a beleaguered TSA workforce, for full collective bargaining rights at the agency, and for the work being done by the union for TSA employees—the American Federation of Government Employees.

Rally speakers will include AFGE National President John Gage, U.S. Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), AFL-CIO Executive Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler, Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) International President Pat Friend, Communications Workers of America (CWA) President Larry Cohen, International Association of Machinists General Vice President Robert Roach Jr., National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President Paul Rinaldi, National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Vice President George Mignosi, and Transport Workers Union (TWU) International Executive Vice President Harry Lombardo.

Members of AFGE; AFL-CIO; AFA; CWA; IAM; NATCA; NALC; TWU; Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA); American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); American Federation of Teachers (AFT); American Postal Workers Union (APWU); International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE); Laborers' International Union of America (LiUNA); Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU); Seafarers International Union; Solidarity Center; Unite-HERE; United Mine Workers of America (UMWA); Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA); and other activists will attend the rally to show support.

Unlike other federal employees, including those in the Department of Homeland Security, TSOs are denied basic workplace rights, and are subject to unfair treatment on the job. A union contract would address workplace safety issues, ensure adequate training and provide protection when workers point out potential security breaches.

An AFGE petition asking DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano to immediately grant full collective bargaining rights at TSA can be found at http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/TSAPetition.

Who:
American Federation of Government Employees
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas
U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y.
AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler
Association of Flight Attendants International President Pat Friend
Communications Workers of America President Larry Cohen
International Association of Machinists General Vice President Robert Roach Jr.
National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Paul Rinaldi
National Association of Letter Carriers Vice President George Mignosi
Transport Workers Union International Executive Vice President Harry Lombardo

What:
Will gather to show support for the TSA workforce and to call on DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano to immediately grant full collective bargaining rights at TSA.

Where:
AFL-CIO headquarters, 815 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC

When:
Tuesday, February 23; 11:30 a.m.

AFGE is the largest federal employee union representing 600,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia, including tens of thousands of DHS employees in Border Patrol, Citizenship and Immigration Services, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Federal Protective Service, FEMA, Coast Guard and TSA.

www.tsaunion.net

SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees