The sh!t list that is.
The United States Government Accountability Office just released a report titled "FEDERAL CONTRACTING Assessments and Citations of Federal Labor Law Violations by Selected Federal Contractors". This report features Akal Security.
You can find the report at http://www.GAO.gov/new.items/d101033.pdf.
Obviously, Akal is responsible for its actions and may face the consequences. The report seems to suggest that the politicians are curious as to why these contractors maintain their eligibility, why the Department of Labor doesn't use its nuclear option to bar these contractors from bidding and working on federal contracts.
But if the politicos push to restrict competition across federal contracts, including the Screening Partnership Program, maybe its time to start talking about killing the SPP, instead of trying to gerrymander the thing to benefit operations like CAS/SEIU.
A blog dedicated to the TSOs, LTSOs, and BDOs at San Francisco International Airport that work for Covenant Aviation Security, LLC (CAS).
A little perspective. Section 108 of the ATSA which created the pilot program which begat the SPP didn't make an appearance in the legislation which became the ATSA until the final draft. The fact that it even made it into the ATSA reflects the reality that there is a certain segment of the political landscape that is opposed to the federalization of the screening workforce. They would be pleased to see the screening workforce privatized. Think about who controlled congress in 2001 and then think about where the political power in congress is expected to shift next month... I wouldn't count on the SPP going anywhere soon.
ReplyDeleteYes, your perspective is appreciated, the odds aren't great. However, if Congress was controlled by the Bushies, funny that the SPP didn't appear until the final draft. This was a little "bipartisanship" in action. Rod Blagojevich surprised the Democratic leadership by voting against a bill totally federalizing the TSA. After that, the pilot program and SPP appeared.
ReplyDeleteBlagojevich is long gone (a convicted felon on appeal) and the SEIU wing of the Democratic party are losing power. Politics, as they say, make strange bedfellows.
Not funny. If you remember the atmosphere in the weeks following 9/11/2001 it’s not funny, strange, or peculiar that the SPP/Pilot didn’t appear until the final draft. Following 9/11 a hue and cry throughout the land squarely placed the blame for 9/11 on the failings of privatized airport security, with the obvious solution being a federalization of the same. And anyone who held the opinion that privatized airport security was not necessarily the problem was best served by tempering that opinion, including the “Bushies” who controlled congress (“if”?). No, what’s funny is that the SPP/Pilot made it into the legislation at all, given the climate of the time.
ReplyDeleteReally? Really? Rogue Democrat Rod Blagojevich as the genesis and perpetuator of the SPP? Really? Really?
Um, so you didn't know?
ReplyDeleteSee Chicago Tribune, November 3, 2001 "Blagojevich riles party with vote on screeners" -
Democratic congressional leaders are furious with U.S. Rep. Rod Blagojevich for his vote against party-backed legislation...
Oh I don't question the fact that Blagojevich voted against his party leadership (hence the qualifier "rogue"). I mean facts are facts. What I find incredulous is your assertion that it was not a "Bushie" controlled congress that was responsible for the SPP, when Blagojevich was just one of a few Dems amoung a boatload of Republicans who voted this way.
ReplyDelete