Is the TSA currently unionized?

[Kber]

or does DeMint think that the TSA is currently doing a bang up job?

Cause logic would dictate that dictate that either DeMint shut up about the TSA performance or shut up about keeping them from unionizing.

Of course the real way to keep the TSA from unionizing is to pay the employees fairly, to provide a good working environment and set decent benefits levels.

Just saying.

[Name removed]

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[grantcart]

2. TSA wages are terrible

I work with all kinds of federal employees and TSA workers get paid less than postal workers.

[Name removed]

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[grantcart]

11. Yes I do financial counseling for federal employees and I know what they all make

Postal Workers enter at about $ 30,000 and top off at about $ 55,000 after 20 years

A Customs officer (same education as a Postal Worker) starts at around $ 40,000 and will be making$ 60,000 in 3 years and in some ports earn $ 25,000 a year in overtime.

A nurse at the VA will earn from $ 60,000- $ 110,000 and a well educated pharmacist will make more than $ 100,000 at the VA.

I guess it all depends on what you think "a lot" is but most federal employees make between 40-75,000

[LiberalAndProud]

3. Is it just a coincident that you sound like McCain?

[Name removed]

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[LiberalAndProud]

6. 'The page you are looking for may no longer exist.'

Thanks, though.

[Name removed]

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[LiberalAndProud]

10. Thanks.

I'll be willing to bet that the highest turnover is in bands A and B followed closely by C (not stellar salaries) for the kind of work you're talking about.

[HuckleB]

13. He's pushing anti-union crap.

[grantcart]

7. Currently TSA is not unionized

Two unions are currently vying to win their support once the law changes.

Government employee unions have little direct effect on salary scales which are set by congress.

Unions do their main work by enforcing employment regulations and challenging arbitrary actions from supervisors.

They can have an impact on pocket book issues by fighting for technical changes. For example recently AFGE won agreement to add step 12 for Customs agents, they had been capped out at 11.

The unions have a beneficial impact because they often fight for rule changes that simply make the system work better.

One example customs agents on the US/Mexico regularly - a couple of times a week work 16 hour days (in addition to 12 hour days) in 110 degree temperature and, obviously, lose effectiveness under these conditions. Unions can get rules added that eliminate abuse. Recently the union won a ruling that workers cannot be assigne two 16 hour days consecutively.


TSA wages are extremely low, really the worst in the federal system. The only people that are paid lower are entry level postal workers, minimum wage jobs at VA hospitals - like the kitchen, and near minimum wage earners at national cemeteries.


The benefits for TSA are theoretically good but their 401k plan (TSP) is based on earnings so is marginal for TSA employees.

[LiberalAndProud]

8. .

DeMint has said publicly he is fiercely opposed to unionizing TSA screeners, placing him squarely in the path of President Obama and other federal personnel officials, who have publicly stated their intention to grant collective bargaining rights to TSA screeners in the very near future. (Sen. Demint's Capitol Hill office is closed for the holidays, and his South Carolina office did not respond to Federal News Radio's request for an interview.)

The National Treasury Employees Union is one of two unions attempting to organize TSA screeners once President Obama and the Department of Homeland Security give the high sign. In a written statement, NTEU President Colleen Kelley told Federal News Radio:


There is bipartisan support for Southers and he should be confirmed as soon as Congress returns. Sen. DeMint's arguments are completely baseless and he should stop delaying the appointment of this clearly qualified candidate to this critical position.
Sharon Pinnock is the director of membership and organization for the American Federation of Government Employees - the other large federal worker union vying with NTEU to organize TSA screeners. She told Federal News Radio, "Quite frankly, we're perplexed by the Senator's hold."

http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=35&sid=1851975

[ashling]

12. TSA employees are not oficially unionized. They can join a union, but have no rights

to collective bargaining. On NPR tonight it was mentioned thatNew York Police and Firefighters - you know, the ones who run into burning buildings just for the fun of it - are unnionized, as were the two officers who brought down the Ft. Hood shooter. It didn't seem to get in the way of their desire to get the job done - to serve and protect.

So why is DeMinted questioning their character and patriotism. They need to respond to this in a very organized way as union members for the unions everywhere.