TSA and Unions

CaptainGoodnight

Golden Member
Oct 13, 2000
1,427
30
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This is just off the top of my head, but:

I don't the government can prevent TSA employees from joining a TSA Union. They can however prevent that union from exercising certain rights. Like engaging in collective bargaining.
 

halik

Lifer
Oct 10, 2000
25,696
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I caught part of the story on NPR, apparently when DHS was created there was no provision for collective bargaining.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122061240

I don't see how unionizing will improve the way TSA operates, though it is certain to run up the costs.

Also the collective bargaining part will either compromise security or shut down air travel. The reason why unions extract higher wages is because of their ability to strike and shut down the operation.
 
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K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
52,124
45,152
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Splendid, I was wondering if there was a way to make the TSA cost more and be even less efficient at the same time.
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
74,592
6,715
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Could it be the party of death would have never allowed the country to be secure if the folk providing that service were allowed to negociate a decent wage?
 

OutHouse

Lifer
Jun 5, 2000
36,410
616
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This is just off the top of my head, but:

I don't the government can prevent TSA employees from joining a TSA Union. They can however prevent that union from exercising certain rights. Like engaging in collective bargaining.

thats right, it was the collective bargaining.
 

drebo

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2006
7,034
1
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Could it be the party of death would have never allowed the country to be secure if the folk providing that service were allowed to negociate a decent wage?

If you don't think your wage is decent, find work elsewhere. The free labor market will and should determine the cost of labor, not antique, archaic institutions such as labor unions.

Consequently, what is your opinion of a "decent wage" for completely unskilled labor?
 
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Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
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If you don't think your wage is decent, find work elsewhere. The free labor market will and should determine the cost of labor, not antique, archaic institutions such as labor unions.

Consequently, what is your opinion of a "decent wage" for completely unskilled labor?

Wow, talk about a dinosaur. Both the anient ideology and the walnut-size brain behind it.

Welcome to 1900 and the debate 'should unions be legalized?'
 

marincounty

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2005
3,227
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America will get the security it is willing to pay for. Makes sense to me paying cops $100k and paying the airport security guy $10 per hour. :)
 

Corn

Diamond Member
Nov 12, 1999
6,389
29
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Could it be the party of death would have never allowed the country to be secure if the folk providing that service were allowed to negociate a decent wage?

Wow, I had no idea the TSA forced people into their employ without first negotiating a wage. This is truly shocking!
 

nobodyknows

Diamond Member
Sep 28, 2008
5,474
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Your point?
If someone (who is legally allowed to take the job) wants to work for $2/day why shouldn't they be allowed to make that choice?

And while we're at it let's hire some cheap Mexican labor to guard our southern border.
 

nobodyknows

Diamond Member
Sep 28, 2008
5,474
0
0
This is just off the top of my head, but:

I don't the government can prevent TSA employees from joining a TSA Union. They can however prevent that union from exercising certain rights. Like engaging in collective bargaining.

I'm guessing that they can "bargain", they just can't strike.
 

bobsmith1492

Diamond Member
Feb 21, 2004
3,875
3
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It makes sense to not allow security to strike or any other government employees for that matter. What if the military went on strike...
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
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Wow, I had no idea the TSA forced people into their employ without first negotiating a wage. This is truly shocking!

You're an idiot.

Change the relative power of the worker and employer and you affect the wage.

Before we had unions, the average wage in the US was $10,000 adjusted for inflation.

At that time, in response to the protests of abuse, the practice was widely adopted of putting the wages in 'contracts', saying 'it must be fair, both sides agreed'.

Eventually the public realized starving people didn't have the same power to 'negotiate' and legalized unions.

You're still at the level of ignorance of that period long ago, pretending there's no power imbalance affecting the wages.

The TSA was set up by a right-wing radical administration specifically aimed to undermime unions. Indeed it replaced airlines' well-compensated more competent security personnel.

You really belong back under your rock, not spreading crap ideology.
 

ProfJohn

Lifer
Jul 28, 2006
18,161
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America will get the security it is willing to pay for. Makes sense to me paying cops $100k and paying the airport security guy $10 per hour. :)
They actually make between $13.72 and 20.57 an hour. Not exactly a bad wage for a job that requires no college, has nice work conditions and does not have any long term responsibility to it.
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
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but that's not what the market wants. look at those who work engineering. does the market want $2/hr there? Nope. What makes you think people will work if the TSA only pays you $2 / day.

The market isn't some magic fixed value. It's affected by countless factors, including the history for the last decades, and some things private some public.

And it by no means ithe 'best' value, either. If you have all the ideal 'market' values, they're just one setof values. SOme good things about them, some bad.

Indeed the proper role of the governmentis to improve on the market for the benefit of society. Sometimes it does, sometimes not. The middle class explosion from the progressives/FDR on has a big government role.
 

OutHouse

Lifer
Jun 5, 2000
36,410
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They actually make between $13.72 and 20.57 an hour. Not exactly a bad wage for a job that requires no college, has nice work conditions and does not have any long term responsibility to it.

actually its $15.10-$22.60

TSA officers prob make more per hour than most of the people responding in my thread.

http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.a...mp=N&FedPub=Y&q=tsa&AVSDM=2009-12-03+12:49:00

SALARY RANGE 31,426.00 - 47,139.00 USD /year
OPEN PERIOD Thursday, December 03, 2009 to Tuesday, March 02, 2010
SERIES & GRADE SV-1802-D/D
POSITION INFORMATION Part-Time Permanent
PROMOTION POTENTIAL: E
DUTY LOCATIONS Adak, AK
WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED Open to All U.S. Citizens and U.S. Nationals. For further
Relocation: Relocation expenses will not be authorized.
 
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