A Scholarship and an Incentive

TSA Union Proposal Dropped

Democratic congressional leaders have backed away from a measure that would have granted union rights to airport security screeners.

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid of Nevada announced that he and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California had decided to drop the collective bargaining provision from a bill that would implement unfinished recommendations of the 9/11 Commission in order to get the legislation moving toward the White House.

Senate Republicans had objected to the union provision, and the White House had threatened to veto the bill if it included the provision.

The decision is a blow to federal unions. Earlier this year, John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, stood with Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), the chief sponsor of the union provision, to praise Democrats for adding the provision to the 9/11 bill.

"The fight is not over," Gage said after Reid's announcement. "This only makes us more determined to get rights for workers who were wrongfully denied."

Colleen M. Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, said supporters are looking for other bills that could carry the union provision. "This is such a disappointment for many of these employees," she said.

In a statement, the Transportation Security Administration welcomed the decision and said, "TSA will continue to vigorously pursue activities in support of active employee engagement and a participative workforce."

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