WASHINGTON, Aug. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The American Federation of Government Employees announced early today that it has reached an agreement with the Transportation Security Administration on the first-ever labor contract for the nation’s TSA officers. No details of the agreement were immediately released.

Talks began in January and concluded in an agreement following a marathon bargaining session that ended at approximately 3:00 a.m. this morning. The agreement will be submitted to the workforce of nearly 45,000 officers for a ratification referendum in the coming weeks.

If ratified, the agreement will represent the culmination of a 10-year effort by AFGE, first to assist the employees in gaining the right to join a union and then to win a contract.

The parties were assisted in the negotiations by mediator Lynn Sylvester of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

AFGE is the largest federal employee union representing 650,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia, including 45,000 at the Transportation Security Administration. www.TSAunion.com

SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees