Senate Votes Union Rights for Screeners
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WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate voted Tuesday to give 45,000 airport screeners the same union rights that border patrol, customs and immigration agents despite a veto threat from the White House.
The 51-46 vote was on an amendment by Senator DeMint, Republican of South Carolina, to remove the union rights from a broad anti-terrorism bill to implement recommendations of the 9/11 commission previously rejected by Congress.
The House passed a similar anti-terrorism bill with the same union provision for airport screeners in an indication of organized labor’s strength with Democrats now running Congress.
Republicans vowed to strike the union provision when negotiators sit down to merge the House and Senate bills together to implement recommendations of the 9/11 commission previously rejected by Congress.
“We’re not going to let big labor compromise national security,” said Senator McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, noting there are not enough votes in either the House or Senate to override a veto by President Bush.
