Collective Bargaining Makes Flying Unsafe.

T.S.A. Worker's  A.F.G.E  Has Got Us By  "The B. A. L. L. S."

That's right folks the Obama administration's TSA director has completed  negotiations that give the union that represents the TSA screeners, a collective bargaining contract. The contract, which will be in effect for three years. Is the first contract made with the TSA workers. Guess what?  The membership ratified it ten to  one.  Now isn't that a surprise...who would not want to work for the Feds?  Government union jobs are a plumb. The screeners have grabbed the brass ring. They intend to hold on to it.  No matter what it costs the flying public and tax payer.  One of the things it guarantees is to double the present uniform allowance given to TSA screeners. Since the present allowance included a  $ 50 million dollar price tag. Which would not have been touched due to sequestration.  I guess we can now expect that price tag to double.  Why do we pay for their work clothes ? Is someone paying for yours?  Probably not, and the IRS rule on deducting your suit and tie is an explicit NO.  Now this seems like a small and picky issue for some.  In the future it will probably viewed as such, compared to the other demands A.F.G.E  will on the T.S.A. will probably want to make down the line.  When contract negotiations come around again it three years. The idea of letting them unionize in the first place was bad enough. Giving them the right to have collective bargaining. It's like putting a small blade knife, to the throat of the traveling and tax paying public.

I think it will have been well to listen to the advice and hear the warnings of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  Who thought that it was a bad policy to allow public service employees to unionize. Thus giving too much leverage when it came to serving or not serving the public.  The power thus curtailing the government to ensure the smooth operation of any and all government agencies.  President G.W. Bush knew enough to heed F.D.R's advice. The Obama administration has not. The ability to negotiate contracts through the process of collective bargaining can be dangerous for the public's safety, especially to airline travelers.

A case in point is one that occurred to our friends across the border in 2006.  When  Toronto airport inspectors chose to meticulously and slowly inspected passengers baggage in order to back up the entire system.  The result of which, was the necessity for airport officials to under inspect the baggage. Or not inspect them at all to get the system untied and running again. This is union tactic that is used to pressure opposing negotiators to become more flexible in favor of the unions demands. 

In the event a union is prevented to strike by law. They go to extremes to perform their jobs.  In double doting the I's and double crossing the T's they avoid breaking the law or previous contract.  It is a common tactic used by the unions on construction jobs. Preventing deliveries by contractors and suppliers to the site.  The union checks every detail of the vehicles safety regulations. To the degree of turning away vehicles that have a low or over inflated tire of a difference of 1 psi.  Holding up the entire job and running up the bill of the project. This is reverse extortion.  It works to the unions advantage almost always.

The contract with the TSA workers does have provisions that prohibit strikes by the employees. As we all know there is more than one way to skin a cat.  As evidenced in Toronto's airport.  The hypothetical is that what if they had done this on a continuous basis. The situation the being transmitted to a terror group or nut case seeking to cause havoc and deaths. Would anyone want to take that chance?  I think not.  Especially the government.  Thus having no choice but to capitulate to union demands.

I and others who lived in N.Y.C then. Can testify to the fact that even when it is unlawful to do so. Public service employee unions have called strikes. Resulting in the work stoppage of New York City's sanitation department. Garbage was piled up on the streets for weeks. Making it a city of vermin infestation and invasion. Rats and mice ran rampant in the streets. Spreading disease and other health threats throughout.

Of course let us not forget the transit strike of 1966.  A situation that incarcerate the head of the the Transit Workers Union, Mr. Quill.  Striking for pay parody. The city was at a stand still.  People spending most of their working hours trying to get to and from work. Office buildings setting up cots for employees who had to stay over many nights. Away from their spouses and children who needed support and protection.  Or the sick outs of police and fire depts.  Putting the people and other union employees in danger by reducing  the amount of , " hands on deck" in any given situation.

So now you and I will be subject to the next demands of the union that represents the T.S.A. screeners. Of which there are 44,000. Right now the demands are reasonable. That is the first contract.  Now let us see what the next contract will demand and then the next and the next. Remember the goal of a union and the reason for their existence is to garner more and more concessions for their members. So where does that leave us? As I usually suggest to my readers. Use your imagination folks. I believe you can figure out where this is going.