Washington ? Airport security screeners don’t have the right to unionize, according to the agency handling labor issues for the federal government.

The Federal Labor Relations Authority ruled that the screeners’ boss, Transportation Security Administration chief James Loy, has discretion to decide the terms and conditions of their employment.

Loy in January signed an order forbidding collective bargaining by screeners, saying unions are incompatible with the war on terror that screeners are helping the government wage. Union contracts could limit the flexibility needed to make sudden changes in shift assignments in response to terror threats, Loy said.

The union seeking to represent the screeners, the American Federation of Government Employees, asked the labor authority to overrule Loy. Screeners who backed unionization said they need the right to bargain collectively to ensure safe workplaces and fair hours.