Union Proposal for Airport Screeners Stalls at the Gate

"These are rights," he said. "They should not be taken away lightly."

The hearing was held by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee on the federal workforce, chaired by Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii). He was joined at the hearing by Sens. George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio), Susan M. Collins (R-Maine), John W. Warner (R-Va.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).

Coburn suggested the hearing would not make a difference in the Senate's deliberations because the union-rights provision is on the chamber's floor in legislation dealing with unfinished recommendations from the 9/11 commission. "Doing this [hearing] after the fact says a whole lot on how the Senate operates," he said.

Last week, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C. ) proposed striking the Lieberman provision from the bill. McCaskill, in turn, offered a substitute that would give TSA screeners the right to collective bargaining but make it clear that they cannot strike or negotiate for higher pay.

Her amendment stipulates that screeners must follow agency orders during emergencies and "newly imminent threats." She also would prevent the use of classified or sensitive information in grievance proceedings.

Collins said yesterday that she hopes to win support for a compromise that would guarantee screeners coverage by government-wide whistle-blower protections and that would assure them the right to appeal major disciplinary actions to the Merit Systems Protection Board, an independent agency.

She hinted that her proposal would let senators put off a decision on screener union rights for a year by requiring a review of the TSA personnel system, probably by the Government Accountability Office.

Aides to President Bush have said they will recommend a veto of the bill implementing the 9/11 panel's recommendations if it includes union rights for screeners. Senate Republicans hope to sustain the veto, noting that 36 GOP senators, including Coburn and Warner, have signed a letter to Bush objecting to the union provision.

Stephen Barr's e-mail address isbarrs@washpost.com.