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CNN Live At Daybreak

Baggage Screeners Fight to Keep Jobs

Aired February 20, 2002 - 06:25   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Controversy is brewing over new airport security measures. Hundreds of baggage screeners who are not U.S. citizens may be forced from their jobs even if they have years of experience.

Lance Evans from San Francisco affiliate KPIX has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LANCE EVANS, KPIX-TV REPORTER (voice-over): At all the three major Bay area airports, San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco, the scene was the same, hundreds of immigrant airport baggage screeners protesting a new federal law that they claim discriminates against them and may ultimately put them out of work.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is nothing, nothing that we have done to harm the flying public.

EVANS: In the wake of September 11, Congress and the president tightened airport security by federalizing all baggage screeners, but federal employees must be U.S. citizens. Eighty to 90 percent of Bay area baggage screeners are not, they are legal immigrants, many from the Philippines, U.S. residents who say they are being treated unfairly and may now have to choose between this country and their homeland, many don't want to.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They have a legitimate complaint because even airlines, for example, you cannot refuse to hire pilots for your carriers that are not U.S. citizens. Why, because you cannot discriminate in this country against persons who have a green card.

EVANS: They also state that even National Guardsmen can be legal immigrants. And in fact, it was an inactive National Guardsman who police arrested after he was caught trying to carry explosives onto a plane in Los Angeles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The citizenship requirement discriminates unlawfully and irrationally against hard working, tax paying, legal immigrants.

EVANS: The baggage screeners filed a federal lawsuit last month asking the courts to stop the new ATS Act and overturn it. Some Bay area passengers, though, welcome the citizen requirement. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Innocence is a question of national pride, national concern about not only American citizens but anyone who's traveling in the United States that a certain level of citizenship gives a certain level of ownership, in my opinion.

EVANS: The screeners may continue to work until they are replaced by federal screeners, all of whom security administrators say will be in place by November. So how can passengers be sure bags will be properly screened in the interim?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have confidence. The union leadership has promised us that they would fight for support during transition (ph) time and we've had a good relationship with them over the years so we're confident that these screeners will continue to work.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And that was Lance Evans from affiliate KPIX.

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