Unionizing the TSA?
 

How would unionizing the TSA workforce affect security of our traveling pubic? More comments from Robert Hardings confirmation hearings:

"President Barack Obama's second nominee to head the Transportation Security Administration side-stepped questions Wednesday about whether he supports unionizing the nation's 40,000 airport screeners, but acknowledged the president's support for unionization of screeners and said any such plan should be done in a way that would not hurt national security."

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/03/24...ominee.senate/

A unionized Communist Party? Wow, one wouldn't normally think there are worse things than the Communist Party but there you are.

Cops and firemen have unions. Why not TSA?

Because they don't deserve one. @:-)

Because they already aren't held accountable for their actions. @:-)

Because they already bleed enough tax dollars. @:-)

I share the concern that a unionized TSA will result in yet more waste of money in the name of "security" and less accountability for TSA actions/failures.

I generally oppose unions, typically they cause far more problems than they are worth. Unionizing the TSA would be an error in my opinion. Not because of less accountability but because of the need for the TSA to be able to adjust to circumstances. Terrorists are becoming more sneaky, and TSA needs to be able to adjust their procedures with little or no notice to meet whatever threat our (The USA’s) intelligence agencies find. Can’t do that if you have to confer with union heads (civilians) before changes can be made.

There are several Unions competing for the TSA’s workforce. AFGE and another large union (cant remember the name), plus a few smaller ones. I suppose the competition is a good thing, but that does not tell me what they offer that would make them worth the problems they would cause.

All good reasons. ^

^^

:D
Hell has officially frozen over.

What, TSORon isn't allowed to be right, ever? ;)

No, Ron is still defending TSA from what he sees as external threats. He is actually being consistent. ;)

I'm hoping for a good ol' strike or two which would cripple air travel and place the blame squarely on the TSA.

The problem with unionizing the TSA is that doing so requires the TSA to exist.

Ron while I generally agree with you on this point I think you need to realize that the whole of TSA is a civilian agency. So that would be civilians conferring with civilians.

The unions are competing for TSA for one simple reason, whoever gets TSA should it happen will make lots of money in union dues.

That is the motivation of the unions.

I don't really see it mattering one way or the other, but the argument that any agency that is unionized could not respond quickly is shot down pretty much every day when a police department or other law enforcement agency that is unionized has to implement changes quickly based on the situtation.

The NYPD for example is not less responsive when immediate procedural changes are needed while they wait for a union vote.

The only group that would benefit from it would probably be the union they went with if it were to happen, unions need a huge influx of dues, and getting 40,000 new members would most certainly help. Not sure the individual workers would get anything more then another payroll deduction.

On the other hand maybe if the TSA goes on strike and planes don't start falling out of the sky people will start to notice how completely useless an agency it is.