The general consensus is that Pistole is caving to union demands. He knows that the more airports choose to privatize, the less likely it will be that the TSA will gain collective bargaining rights. Naturally, a union for the TSA employees has declared its support for Pistole's decision. John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, says "The nation is secure in the sense that the safety of our skies will not be left in the hands of the lowest-bidder contractor, as it was before 9/11 ... We applaud Administrator Pistole for recognizing the value in a cohesive federalized screening system and work force."
Why the union resistance to private screeners? Unions don't like competition. Anyone who demonstrates an ability to do something better, or smarter or faster is seen as the enemy. Unions are looking for any way possible to increase their numbers and their power. In the private sector, you MUST be concerned about serving the customer or the client or the students, because if you don't, you will lose your job. Amazing, isn't it? You will be held accountable for the job that you do. If you do a poor job, you can be fired. If your team as a whole does a poor job, your company could lose its contract. So that company is constantly working to make sure that it is pleasing the people it is serving. That's capitalism!
The TSA on the other hand, on the verge of obtaining collective bargaining rights, is not interested in serving the passengers and crew members who fly in our airports. Nope. They are not concerned about safety or customer service. In the end, they will not lose their jobs if they are protected by the big brother of government and unions.
