Hutchison Says Unions Are Incompatible With National Security
Hutchison claims in the news release that allowing Transportation Security Administration screeners to join a union “could have dire consequences on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)’s fundamental security mission. Since the inception of TSA, Hutchison said, it has been critical that the agency has a nimble and flexible workforce which can react to emerging threats at a moment’s notice.”
This says a lot about Hutchison's fundamental view of working families, because it is clear from context that in her mind, "nimble and flexible" equates with having no right to bargain with management.
Apparently desperate that she is not keeping up with Rick Perry in the race to fall off the right side of the Earth, Hutchison is trying to generate and profit politically off paranoia. She has zero evidence for her suggestion that unions would be a barrier to an American response to a true national emergency. In fact, unions were on the front lines in the aftermath of 9/11 and the notion that the union movement would ever hinder the security of the U.S. is grossly offensive.
The notion that a union would not rise to the occasion in a true national emergency is insulting and offensive, especially given the reaction of the union movement to the 9/11 attacks. Union members heroically gave their lives and did the dirty work in the aftermath of the attacks. Unions also raised their voices in insisting that workers engaged in cleanup activities get more environmental protection; as it turned out, the failure to provide such protection added to the death and injury toll.
Bush, the self-styled "uniter," ultimately used 9/11 as a partisan sword even as the nation came together in response to the attack. Now, we see Hutchison borrowing the tactic.
President Obama is paving the way for many federal workers to unionize after they were denied that right in the aftermath of 9/11 -- an importance consequence of the 2008 election. No one can point to a single incident in U.S. history in which unionization thwarted the American response to a true national emergency, and Hutchison should be ashamed of herself for suggesting otherwise. In the meantime, thousands of federal workers are regaining their chance to join together for workplace representation.
Hat tip to Steve Taylor at the Rio Grande Guardian for bringing this to our attention:
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KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Ranking Member
For Immediate Release: Contact:
December 2, 2009 Joe Brenckle (202) 224-3991
Hutchison Calls for Renewed Commitment to Border Security, Advises Against TSA Unionization
Questions Homeland Security Chief on Port Security and TSA
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Responding to continued and escalating security threats along America’s southern border, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Ranking Member on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today called for a renewed commitment to border security by the Department of Homeland Security. Hutchison, who questioned Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano during a Commerce Committee hearing on transportation security challenges following September 11th, also emphasized the importance of increasing security at our nation’s ports and advised against TSA unionization.
“We must renew our commitment to strengthen security along our southern border,” said Senator Hutchison. “America’s law enforcement personnel on the border are under constant assault. Powerful Mexican drug cartels threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officials who put their lives on the line to keep us safe,” said Hutchison. “It is vital that we work together to combat narcotics trafficking and safeguard families and neighborhoods along the border. Securing our borders and preventing violence in Mexico from spreading into our country should be our top priority.”
Earlier this year, Hutchison introduced the Border Law Enforcement Relief Act of 2009, S. 339, which would create a grant program to help border communities combat narcoterrorism. The program could be used to obtain equipment, upgrade technology, hire additional personnel, and cover overtime and transportation costs associated with preventing criminal activity along the border. Senator Hutchison has fought to bolster the number of Border Patrol agents since coming to Congress, increasing agents along the southern border from 3,600 in 1993 to 17,600 in 2009.
“Securing our transportation network and infrastructure is vital for our national defense and our economic prosperity,” Senator Hutchison said. “Texas is home to 29 ports, including the Port of Houston, which is one of the busiest ports in the world. A terrorist incident at a major U.S. port could cause a devastating loss of life and deliver a huge blow to our economy.”
The Port of Houston ranks first in the U.S. in foreign waterborne tonnage and is home to one of the world’s largest petrochemical complexes, as well as the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Hutchison also noted that the U.S. has made great strides since 9/11 in improving transportation security, but that the Department of Homeland Security faces ever-evolving threats and still must meet numerous challenges. She said allowing the screeners to collectively bargain through a union could have dire consequences on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)’s fundamental security mission. Since the inception of TSA, Hutchison said, it has been critical that the agency has a nimble and flexible workforce which can react to emerging threats at a moment’s notice.
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