Screeners Win in Free Speech Ruling

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners won a big victory last Wednesday when a San Francisco appeals court ruled in their favor. The court ruled unanimously that a TSA screener who was fired in 2004 after receiving a warning about his union activities can sue TSA for violation of his free speech rights. If upheld, this would affirm that the First Amendment rights to free speech and free association cover union organizing, offering a valuable tool to all unions. Gony Frieder Goldberg, an AFGE lawyer representing the TSA screener, "said the ruling was a victory because Fletcher's decision reaffirmed that joining a union is a First Amendment right and validated the screeners' abilities to defend the exercise of those rights in court" according to Alyssa Rosenberg's report on the Government Executive website.