High cost, technological problems and the possibility of disqualifying good workers have derailed the start of Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC) program.

The TWIC is a national ID card to control access to the ports and other transportation facilities in the name of fighting terrorism. The card could cover up to 12 million transportation workers, who would have to undergo background checks. Fingerprints and other forms of biometric identification, such as retinal scans or DNA, could be embedded in the card and read by computers at access points to the ports.

Cost
The Code of Federal Regulation recently mandated that the card would cost $137. It is still unclear who would pay for the card and licensing. Employers will want to push the cost back onto the workforce. As of yet, the ILA has not announced a national response to make the employers pay for the licenses that workers will need to work.

Technology & Implementation
Defense and technology companies have not convinced many port employers that the cards and readers will be able to scan workers without delays and errors. That has not stopped those companies from fighting to win the multi-million dollar contracts to supply workers and companies with cards and card readers.
Disqualification
One big concern for longshore workers is the disqualifications, which could be used to exclude good workers and potentially discriminate against others. As Kimoko Harris, member and union representative at ILA Local 1883 said, “[The card] will disproportionately impact minority communities, given the inequities in the criminal justice system… African Americans represent about 12 percent of the population, but they represent over 60 percent of the population with prison sentences and past felonies.”

One of these vague disqualifying categories includes, “transportation security incidents. ” The West Coast longshore union, ILWU, fought to clarify the term not to include a strike or other labor dispute related events.

In the Port of Wilmington, DE, a test port for the implementation of TWIC, officers and members are working with state legislators, federal judicial system employees and members of Congress protect the employment rights of individuals affected by these rules.

Keep in mind that the program is not yet in full effect and that the public has the right to voice our concerns abut the TWIC. We must encourage or union leadership to get involved to make our voice heard and protect our employment rights.