By: Keith Kappes
Columnist
Carter County Times
Call it bad luck or more craziness from Washington, but I’m really nervous about flying to Utah for a funeral late this week.
My personal angst is based on the fact that the U. S. Department of Homeland Security announced Friday that it is ending its collective bargaining agreement with the tens of thousands of frontline employees at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Yep, that’s exactly what the federal bureaucrats are saying and doing in one of the most dangerous times in recent history. The folks who screen airport passengers and luggage for weapons, explosives and other hazards, now will be distracted by a fight with Uncle Sam to preserve their union.
DHS officials say the existing unionized workplace allows poor performing employees to stay on the job making it more difficult “to safeguard our transportation systems and keep Americans safe”.
TSA workers are represented by the American Federation of Government Employees. About 47,000 TSA workers are losing their collective bargaining rights.
Work stoppages and other issues are sure to arise as the union tries to preserve its right to exist at a time when its screeners see an average of 2.5 million passengers a day.
The White House’s Office of Personnel Management recently demanded an accounting of time spent by federal employees in the last fiscal year on union matters such as contract negotiations and dispute resolutions.
In announcing its action against the union, TSA managers said they found nearly 200 employees were working on union matters full-time while collecting a government salary. The union challenged that claim, noting that federal law allows union members to devote part of their work time to union matters.
In a tactic often used in union busting, the TSA management said it immediately would stop collecting union dues through payroll deduction.
On a personal basis, I don’t want those TSA screeners worrying about pay or medical insurance or job protection. I want them sharply focused on keeping all of us safe from the idiots of the world. Contact Keith at keithkappes@gmail.com
