Spending our money, Part 2

This came to us in response to the first posting. Did not want this to not be seen by those who frequent our site; so here it is.

http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_deductions.htm

"d. Uniforms. If an employer requires that an employee wear a uniform, the employer must pay the cost of the uniform. Labor Code Section 2802,
Industrial Welfare Commission Orders, Section 9. The term "uniform" includes wearing apparel and accessories of distinctive design and color."

I am not a lawyer, but i think Covenant should cough up to pay the cost of our shoes and socks. How dare they are telling us which shoes to buy and over the ankle black/navy socks!

Did CAS management ever read the CA labor code at all?

Whose bright idea was it to....

fire the checked baggage baggage handlers and to use screeners instead?

Let's take a screener away from resolving alarms and have that person do the job of a baggage handler. That's a brilliant solution!

Management knows that screeners are paid slightly more than a baggage handler, right? Isn't this the reverse of cost cutting? Plus, the TSA is paying for screeners who will perform screening duties; they are not paying for screeners to act as baggage handlers.

This appears to be the same creative "smoke and mirrors" that CAS was using for our training room personnel. You remember, they had them on the books as front line employees and charged them to the TSA when their salaries should have been paid by CAS. Maybe they thought that no one would notice.

CAS is now telling us how to spend our money!

Management has decided to require us to wear a certain type of shoe without any visible logo. That would be fine if they were paying for these shoes. But when we have to use our own money to meet this requirement they are going too far.

They have a very selective memory when it comes to what constitutes uniform apparel. Shoes are part of the uniform. Money for our shoes is in the budget; unfortunately for us, they have found another use for it. And that use is to line their own pockets.

TSA, we are waiting for you to step in to show CAS the error of their ways.

Is CAS management getting the message?

We heard that there was an attendance problem on Monday, but does management understand why? Do they have a clue?

The rank and file have chosen to express a level of unhappiness with recent decisions and have chosen to do so in a way that should alert management that there are problems to be solved. When bad decisions are made it affects us all. But bad decisions have become standard practice at CAS. The thought processes have never included considering the ramifications of a bad decision.

Oddly enough, operational needs have taken a back seat!
Management continues to negatively impact our ability to perform our duties effectively and efficiently. When will they recognize that providing a high level of security is our only product.

Just how long will CAS continue to violate our SOP?

In spite of what CAS wants us to think, a certain number of LTSO positions need to be filled. Why has TSA not stepped in? Why are they allowing this blatant disregard of the SOP to continue?


CAS management, in an attempt to save even more money, is withholding the perfect attendance bonuses of the recently terminated baggage handlers. We don't think that CAS really wants to go there. If these baggage handlers meet the qualifications to merit that bonus they are entitled to it, even if they are no longer employed by CAS. Is, Gerald L. Berry of Winter Springs, Florida, behind all this? How low can CAS go?

Put this down as another perfect example of "employee appreciation."

Once again, it's all about security!

It seems that CAS management is once again focusing on how much time it takes to check a bag. They need to be reminded that security takes time and that we will not release that bag until we are absolutely sure that all alarms have been resolved. We would think that management would place more importance on security than they currently are.

We will control the things that we can and should.

Staffing levels are the responsibility of our stellar management team and we will not be pressured to compensate for managerial shortcomings.

So, what happens next?

What happens after Friday’s final day for the CTX baggage handlers? Who will match the bag id’s to the proper bag? Will it be the supervisors and leads? Who will take care of the reruns? Will the elimination of these positions result in an increase of work related injuries? Will it result in baggage missing flights?

It appears that management has not fully considered the negative impact of this decision

Just What Makes CAS Info SSI?

It must be the reminder that our parking fees have to be renewed! Or, is it the listing of birthdays? Could it be the promotional opportunities?

How about the reminder that we have to hand-scan in and out?

We just fail to see how any of this can be SSI.

It appears that our wonderful management team is in a panic mode. Looks like the TSA has CAS looking over their collective shoulders. Doesn't this over reaction just show the quality of our top notch management team ? They certainly are a knowledgeable bunch!

No More Re-Training!

During a recent meeting with the local TSA, we heard that we will no longer be able to have re-training as an option, should we fail to spot certain items. Does this change only apply to private contractors? Does this new rule apply to the entire TSA workforce?

We would like to see something in print coming from the TSA headquarters outlining these changes. We would like to see that this applies to everyone, not just the private contractors.

Is this the TSA administrator's way of meeting the challenge of Rep. John Mica head on?

Honesty and Integrity are,,,

only two of the five core competencies, but in our view they the most important. It is laughable how, at one time, we were tested by CAS to see if we knew all five.

How could a company, such as CAS, dare to stress to us the importance of "Honesty and Integrity" when, to them, these are words without meaning. Has anyone seen anything from CAS management that even comes close to hinting that they know the meanings of these words?

Have they ever been honest with us? Have they ever shown us that they have any integrity at all? And, since we are going down this road, let's bring in "Teamwork."

Management has always had a "them versus us" attitude. It's impossible to have "teamwork" when there is no "team."

Now They Are Willing To Listen!

More than two years after we were given the "Engage" class the TSA is finally asking for our input.

Quite some time ago we posted a piece saying that we are here to help any way that we could. We spoke about how positive feedback and a pragmatic approach would help to make things better.

Our offer went unheeded!

Now, with the TSA under a barrage of assaults they are finally reaching out to the rank and file. They have finally come to realize that they had an unused valuable asset right under their noses.

Is this a little too late? Can this patient be saved?

How do we protect ourselves?

With everything that the TSA has, and will, throw at us the next question should be, how do I protect myself from a loss of employment?

The simple answer is to follow the SOP 100% of the time!

Not sure, or don’t remember what you have read way back when? Tell your supervisor that you need and want to refresh your memory about the SOP procedures. Document when you told your supervisor and where you were. (Such as Pier B, Pier C, etc.) Have a witness who will be able to verify that this actually took place and jot down the time.

Once again, do not let an unresolved alarm go. Do not release a person or their property until you are absolutely certain that the alarm has been resolved. Do not look at the length of the line or the number of bags waiting to be screened. Do what we have been hired to do. Our only function is to provide security according to the TSA SOP standards.

Another EEOC Link!

If you are considering filing a complaint, and we recommend that you do if you feel that you were unjustly and unfairly treated, follow this other link.

This walks you through the filing process.

https://www.ehow.com/how_6743480_file-eeoc-claim-forms-california.html

Promotions!

Congratulations to all those who have been promoted. We are sure that there will be plenty of grumbling about some of the choices. Don't blame the applicants, blame the system for allowing this to happen. After all, who would look a gift horse in the mouth? Take the money and run.

To those of you who have had enough of what you consider to be unfair treatment, we feel for you!

So, we have taken it upon ourselves to at least point you in the right direction in your desire to seek justice. Here is the address of the EEOC District Office. Good luck!

San Francisco District Office

Location:	350 The Embarcadero Suite 500 San Francisco, CA 94105-1260
Phone:	1-800-669-4000
Fax:	415-625-5609
TTY:	1-800-669-6820
Director:	Michael Baldonado
Regional Attorney:	William R. Tamayo
Office Hours:	The San Francisco District Office is open Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Walk-in services available on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Please call first to obtain information or schedule an appointment.

TSA on the Attack!

Did CAS actually think that the TSA would just roll over and give up? The onslaught from John Mica has been relentless. His calls for the TSA to let more private contractors into the TSA empire has the TSA scrambling to save their turf.

So, how does the TSA plan on doing this? The best and surest way is to prove that private contractors are not up to the task!

The upcoming audit is only the beginning. We will be bombarded with covert testing as they seek to prove that a private contractor provides an inferior product. If we fail, management will only place the blame on us.

We are only as good as our leadership. The time will soon be upon us when the missteps of management will be exposed. Gerry L. Berry of Winter Springs, Florida should bear the full weight of what is to come. His policies have made this company what it is today! The attitude of CAS is, "we will have this contract no matter what and we will do as we please." Hopefully, the chickens will come home to roost.

Union Dues!

Most of you are not aware that there are 2 types of union membership. The type that the union loves is the "full" 1.8 percent membership.

The type that they hate is the limited membership and that is at a 1.2 percent. We know that most of the CTX community is paying 1.2 percent.

SEIU has been telling the baggage community that they really don't have a voice and in order to get a voice they need to become full 1.8 percent members. Just how dumb do they think they are? To our knowledge, no one in the baggage community is buying what they are selling.

Now, the question is, what have they done to deserve your 1.8 percent dues? Zilch, Nada, Squat!

The best way to show them that we are unhappy is to have more of us switch to the lower rate of 1.2 percent. We need to voice our displeasure more obviously and forcefully. It's easy to do, just call the EAC and tell them that you want to change.

Draw a line in the sand! Stop paying these 1.8 percent dues for such shabby treatment.

As long as we continue to.....

perform the duties and responsibilities of an LTSO without getting paid the company will, no doubt, feel that promoting new Leads are not necessary. The company is counting on our stepping up and performing these duties while not getting paid.

How much longer do you think that the company can continue to violate the SOP? If they can somehow prove to the local TSA that there is no real need to promote what do you think they will do? These positions are already in the budget. We are sure that they will put this money to good use. Do you think that it will trickle down to us?

So, when you wonder why the company is no longer bumping people up to "acting" Lead look to yourself for the answer. You are only hurting yourself and are making promotional opportunities more scarce.

Stop stepping up without getting paid!

We will continue until something gets done!

The health warns keep coming out from more and more sources.

Columbia University's Head of Radiological Research, a Dr. David Brenner, states that the radiation produced by these body scanners is 20 times higher than the official estimate.

At what point will the TSA admit that there is a health risk? At what point will they start caring about the rank and file? At what point will they start caring about the public who are being scanned?

Isn't this where our wonderful union should start carrying our banner? And, for that matter, where is the union that won the right to represent the Federal TSO workforce?

Mr. John Gage, head of AFGE, which is the union that represents the federal workforce has been very silent. This issue should be a top priority for both of these unions!

Who is looking out for our well being?

Pull up a chair and read this article.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/308754

More Cancer Concerns at Portland and Puerto Rico!

The TSA workforce in Portland and Puerto Rico have also reported higher clusters of illnesses that they suspect are caused by the body scanners.

According to this article the TSA doesn't seem to care much either way. (Why are we not surprised?) As long as they can sit safely away from these machines why would they care about a health risk?

What safeguards would they have in place for themselves? Afford us the same peace of mind and safety precautions that they would want.

We think that the time is right for the TSA to issue dosimeter badges to all employees. It would show us that we are not expendable and that our concerns are your concerns.

Read the full article at : http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2011/07/airport_body_scanners_causing_cancer_portland_tsa.php