Regional airport security still poor unionized workers
A New Orleans-based group has filed a unionization petition on behalf of unionized airport security workers in the region.
The group, which represents 6,000 airport security workers, petitioned the Regional Airport Commission last week to ask for the ability to organize a union in the region. The request was denied by the Regional Commission, the union representing about 300 workers.
The union, however, is not taking the loss lightly.
The petition says members in union with the Metropolitan Police Department could assist local law enforcement officials in preventing “disasters or attacks” or “incidents that may have a negative impact on air traffic, personnel security and maintenance services.”
“These events would be a potential safety concern for us as our members are respo바카라nsible for protecting the interests of our customers and the people of New Orleans,” the petition states. “While we are concerned about the possibility of disruptions, these events would have to be controlled by an outside party. It would not be fair for us to require this outside party to maintain our airport personnel security services and to handle the fallout from a terrorist attack while the police and other officials remained under threat.”
The Regional Commission voted last year to establish a pilot program to allow airport management to negotiate with a union that provides services to their employees. It has yet to approve a deal that would allow any workers in airport security to unionize.
Rajeev Khanna, executive director of the New Orleans Police Officers Guild Local 1, which is not a member of the union, said he has been working with the airport for some time on the unionization effort.
Khanna said the group’s plan to go on strike is the first step for the union to take. However, he doesn’t think the union’s work to organize airport workers will affect other employees and does not see the strike as affecting security workers in general.
“Securit바카라y is the only one where the바카라y are going to be losing because of the strikes in New York,” Khanna said. “It’s really going to be all about security…. It’s going to impact the whole airport.”
Khanna said many security personnel have had to take leave during the recent work stoppage over contract disputes. Khanna said airport employees have already been offered other options under the Regional Airport Commission’s new policy.
The National Guard and local police officers have also announced that they will be on standby for major events.
“This strikes us as potentially a dangerous precedent,” K