The 40,000 employees of the Transportation Safety Administration won limited bargaining rights last week. According to TSA administrator, John Pistole, only “non-security” issues such as work shifts, transfers, vacation time and awards can be addressed by bargaining, and issues such as deployment of security personnel, job qualifications, testing or discipline are off the table. Work slowdowns are supposedly barred, but that hasn’t stopped other unions from violating similar restrictions. Senator Jim DeMint disagreed that allowing bargaining on such issues does not pose a threat to security. “If who shows up for work, when they show up and what assignments they get is not a security issue, then nothing is a security issue,” DeMint said. Now that the camel has his nose in the tent, we’ll see how long before the entire beast has forced his way inside.
