John,
Yesterday was a big day for AFGE: After almost 20 years of working under a separate and unequal employment system, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas did what we asked and directed the head of TSA to go as far as he could under existing law to bring TSOs up to the standards they’d have if they were under Title 5.
Until the legislation introduced by Representative Bennie Thompson and Senator Brian Schatz is enacted into law, this was the most the administration could do.
Under the Mayorkas order, TSA will issue a new “determination” that gives TSOs the full range of collective bargaining rights that other federal employees have under Chapter 71 of Title 5, gives them pay that “mirrors” what they’d get if they were under the General Schedule locality pay system, and allows access to the Merit System Protection Board (MSPB) for appealing adverse actions. It also instructs TSA to get back to the table to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement.
I am sure that, like me, you all have days when you wonder whether all your work really makes a difference. We all become union members with the goal of making life better for ourselves, our families, and our coworkers. We care about equity, justice, and making sure that everybody gets a decent standard of living in return for the work that they do. These are lofty goals, and they are so hard to achieve.
Yesterday was one of those days when it was crystal clear that union solidarity and perseverance pays off! This victory was a long time coming and, I’m sure like many of you, I cannot wipe the smile off my face!
AFGE spoke with Secretary Mayorkas yesterday morning, he said that he’d heard AFGE loud and clear and that he agreed that the second-class pay and inferior rights for TSOs were not just wrong but inconsistent with President Biden’s insistence on support for the federal workforce and goal of the government being a “model employer.” We talked to him earlier about TSA and answered his many questions about the differences between the rights and pay of TSOs and those of other employees – including other employees of TSA.
He had heard all the anti-union arguments against allowing TSOs to have full Chapter 71 collective bargaining and GS pay and was genuinely interested in hearing why those arguments were unfounded. It is rare for someone to be so open-minded and willing to listen and learn, to question the anti-union nonsense that is an article of faith for so many.
To us, the injustice of denying TSOs the full rights and pay that almost all other federal employees have is so obvious, but far too many lawmakers and managers just don’t see it. The case for equity is so obvious to us and so hard for others to understand.
But yesterday was a giant step forward. I want to thank every single AFGE member who ever spoke out in favor of full rights and equity for TSOs. Whether it was to thank a TSO when you went through security at the airport or talking to lawmakers or candidates about supporting TSO rights. This win is your win too.
Now it is the job of all of us to keep up the pressure to get H.R. 903 and S. 1856 passed. The House bill has 192 cosponsors, including 11 Republicans and the Senate bill, just introduced, already has 30 cosponsors. We need to ask every lawmaker to be a cosponsor so that the progress this administration is making cannot be taken away if and when we get another administration like Trump’s.
We also need to make sure that every TSO knows that this change happened because AFGE made it happen.
We’ve already had major articles syndicated to nearly every local news agency in the country about this from both the Associated Press and Reuters wire services, but we’ve got to make sure your members see and read those articles, understand what these changes mean to them, and know that they were made possible by the work of AFGE members who never stopped fighting.
Honestly, the Biden administration didn’t just do this out of the goodness of its heart. They did it because we pushed and pushed and never gave up. We have to build on this great victory so we can celebrate more victories just like this one.
Finally, As the COVID-19 pandemic situation continues to improve in the U.S., AFGE is working to resume more of our union’s operations so that we can meet the expectations of our membership while protecting the health and safety of our employees, our members, and those we come in contact with.
This week, we put a new policy into effect to help us achieve that goal by following the science, observing CDC guidelines at all AFGE events, and allowing AFGE the flexibility to resume some critical in-person functions, including staff travel for organizing and other needed business.
Our AFGE NOW Organizing Program is continuing to ramp up, and we’ve seen the best organizing numbers we’ve seen in years the last three months. But we’ve been working with one hand tied behind our backs. When our talented organizers are once again able to work in-person, on-site with our local leadership to help you grow our union, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish. Now, with this new policy, we’re one step closer to even bigger gains than we’ve already seen.
Have a great union weekend!
In Solidarity,
Dr. Everett Kelley
AFGE National President
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