D’s Give Union Bosses Another Big Wet One
Posted on March 6, 2007 at 9:59 pm by Chuck Muth
From Chris Strohm of National Journal today on a vote aimed at keeping airport security screeners from unionizing…
Senate Defeats Bid To Strike TSA Union Rights Provision
With heavy backing from organized labor, Senate Democrats prevailed today in keeping a provision in a massive homeland security bill that gives federal airport screeners collective bargaining rights, moving them one step closer to a veto showdown with the White House.
By a 51-46 vote, Democrats tabled an amendment by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., that would have stricken the collective bargaining rights provision from a bill designed to implement unfulfilled recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., crossed party lines to vote with the Democrats.
The provision has heavy backing from labor unions such as the American Federation of Government Employees, but the White House has threatened to veto the bill if it is included. “It’s outrageous that some politicians want to protect union bosses more than they want to protect Americans from terrorist attacks,” DeMint said. “This provision was not recommended by the 9/11 Commission; it was recommended by labor unions.”
Supporters countered that the provision would improve homeland security by boosting the morale of screeners and decreasing the number of workers who quit. The provision is similar to language in a high-priority bill approved by the House in January to implement the unfinished recommendations.
But 36 Republican senators last week and 146 House Republicans Monday pledged to sustain a veto, numbers sufficient to deny the Democrats the needed two-thirds majority to override. “We believe that providing a select group of federal airport security employees with mandated collective bargaining rights could needlessly put the security of our nation at risk,” the Republicans wrote.
DeMint also said the provision could give labor unions that contribute to Democratic campaigns $17 million more annually in new membership dues.
