Unions Head for Showdown With Senate Over TSA Representation

[Growler]

Originally Posted by Tchocky

Essential services usually have a no-strike clause in their contract, and I guess better working conditions can lead to increased productivity. I'd say that the air transport security industry is one where you'd want to have more than minimum-effort working.

While I understand what it is you're saying, I also can vividly recall the near-chaos in the US when the air traffic controllers walked early in the 80's - another place where you'd expect better than minimum effort.

I've also seen many a TSA "agent" who really called into question the validity of the entire effort: slovenly, unkempt, inattentive, lackadaisical... and more than one story has been released of things that just should not have gotten by making it to the aircraft - things like .40 cal handguns. I would argue that the quality of work needs to vastly improve before we even allow the discussion of the idea to unionize the current crop of TSA clowns.

Why is it that we entrust national security to the hands of 18 year olds only after a minimum of eight weeks of intense basic training, but we hire rent-a-cop rejects on the basis of the warm-body principle, then wonder why TSA gets bad press?