(50,000) TSA employees can vote on union representation, labor board rules

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Washington Post

By Joe Davidson

In a significant victory for federal employee unions, the Federal Labor Relations Authority decided Friday that Transportation Security Administration staffers will be allowed to vote on union representation.

The decision clears the way for a campaign by the government's two largest labor organizations, the American Federation of Government Employees and the National Treasury Employees Union, to represent some 50,000 transportation security officers.

"It is no secret that the morale of the TSO workforce is terrible as a result of favoritism, a lack of fair and respectful treatment from many managers, poor and unhealthy conditions in some airports, poor training and testing protocols and a poor pay system," said AFGE President John Gage. "The morale problems are documented by the government's own surveys. TSOs need a recognized union voice at work, and the important decision of the FLRA finally sets the process in motion to make that right a reality."

Even as the unions gear up their bidding to represent a large block of workers, labor leaders continue to press the administration to grant collective bargaining rights for the officers and to push legislation that also would do that.



Read more: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2010/11/tsa_employees_can_vote_on_unio.html

[24601]

1. TSA isn't under the Treasury Department. AFGE sounds like a

better fit.

[demosincebirth]

2. Could have never happened under Bush.

[Omaha Steve]

7. Correct

W took away the right for them to organize! Long story. I'm headed to bed.

[pasto76]

15. Bush specifically made TSA so they would NOT be union

it's a pretty big deal in my mind. One its a huge blow against bush and conservatives right now; two, it might actually generate some professionalism. We do need good security at the airports, jjust not the TSA version.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Psephos]

4. Why do federal employees need a union?

It makes the idea that the federal government is a reliable force for fair treatment of labor seem untrue.

[grahamhgreen]

8. They need a union so that they can bargain collectively, because there is power in numbers.

[Psephos]

13. You missed my point.

And I say that as a union supporter (and member) in the private sector.

[Gman]

16. If you have a job and you're not management, you need a union

plain and simple.

[Psephos]

18. It's not plain or simple.

One size does not fit all when it comes to the issue of federal government employee unions.

People who don't work for government are finally realizing that they don't make, on average, what the equivalent federal employee makes. The average federal worker now makes over $100,000...closer to $120,000. Think about that. How much do you make? Is your job secure? Did you know that five of the seven richest counties in the U.S. are clustered around Washington, D.C.?

Middle class taxpayers have had to take pay endless freezes and cuts, and face tons of layoffs/corporate downsizing/offshoring, while the federal government has been adding tens of thousands of new employees every year. Federal pay for individual federal workers has kept growing each year thanks to both cost-of living raises and “step” increases - right through the downturn. Federal workers enjoy job security private sector employees can only dream of.

Most middle class taxpayers personally don’t make anything like $100,000+, yet see themselves paying taxes to support the government workers who do. They also know that the federal government is their supposed protector against the heft and selfish clout of big business. Implicitly and explicitly, the federal government exists to see that private workers are treated fairly. It spends considerable effort and money promoting exactly that idea.

So the idea of a government union sounds like federal employees are, through their actions, denying that the federal government can be trusted to deal fairly with them...yet they expect us to believe it will deal fairly with us. The numbers show that federal workers already enjoy a serious premium in compensation and job security that the people who pay their salaries (us) do not. So they need a union to do exactly what? Make that inequity worse? That's broken.

This thread is about unionization of TSA employees. When TSA employees unionize, they'll know that no earthly force will be able to fire them for whatever they do short of shooting children. What effect do you expect that to have on their behavior to the public (their "employers")? The question answers itself. Tyrants Standing Around.

[Gman]

20. When Bill Gates walks into a bar

the net worth of everyone in there, on average is millions of dollars. However, I don't know where you are getting your information from but the average federal worker DOES NOT make $100K/yr, much less "closer to $120K" (why the 20% difference?)

Bud, you're reading entirely too much anti-union propaganda and probably watching entirely too much Fox "News". Back away from it.

[Psephos]

21. That has exactly nothing to do with a discussion of average federal salary.

On the other hand, the official US government Bureau of Economic Analysis website does. The figures I mentioned are taken from there. http://www.bea.gov/

Go there and type "average federal salary benefits" into the search window and then come back to me.

Or take the short cut and read this article below, which is based on the same stats you can find yourself.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/income/2010-08-10-1Afedpay10_ST_N.htm

Don't like this one? Google News has 147 more. But do visit the BEA site.

I would be careful throwing around accusations of who's consuming too much propaganda. What I hear from you is an opinion that the US government itself says is hopelessly wrong. I'll stay with the facts.

[8 track mind]

5. Wow!

Hell I thought they were union allready. Shows how much I've been paying attention......

[defendandprotect]

6. k/r

[grahamhgreen]

9. Yay - Let's hope Obama does not try to stop it.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. Fail. n/t

[saigon68]

23. He now follows his corporate masters

[BaltimoreDemocrat]

10. This is good news

:woohoo:

The union hating slave drivers (AKA Republican Party) came up with this when the TSA was formed. It was, according to them, all about "national security," but what is was really about was suppressing workers rights, keeping wages low (seen the starting salary for a TSA officer?), crappy working conditions and the ability for arbitrary discipline if someone steps out of line. Gee, 19th century mill owners could have learned a thing or two from these guys.
Do I advocate featherbedding or protecting obviously incompetent employees? No, absolutely not. I believe and always have people should give a good days work for a good days wage. But wrokers should have the right to bargain collectively, be protected from a**hole bosses (the government is full of them; I used to work for a state government)and be safe and healthy in their work environment.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. This should be on the front page.

Congrats and good luck to these folks for finally be recognized!!

[lostnfound]

14. I hope this doesn't simply further entrench the atrocity that is airport security these days

I am nostalgic to recall the days when airport security was far simpler and we hadn't traded our freedom and our privacy for a little security.

[saigon68]

22. Entrench It ---? shit there are those who love to molest young girls Vaginas

They are called Criminal PERVERTS

[howaboutme]

17. I'd like to see many more private sector unions

that could reign in corporate America. I'm not as enthusiastic about public unions because they don't reign in anyone.

[Psephos]

19. Yes, well said. n/t