The answers to your questions!

There are no dual function screeners at SFO.

There are no "Leads" in the baggage community.

MORE OF THE SAME!

Upper management wants to gather employees twice a month, from each section of the screener workforce (checked baggage and checkpoint), to come up with suggestions on how to create a "positive workplace environment."

Do they really need the workforce to tell them what they should already know? They know exactly what has caused the discontent throughout the workforce!  Just who are they trying to kid?

Previous "sessions" with management produced zero results. They wrote suggestions down and pretended that they actually cared enough to make changes. Can anyone point out any positive changes that have been implemented? The only changes that have taken place have been negative. Staffing levels are so low that we can not take our breaks and we are delayed being released at the end of our work shifts. Management wants more production from fewer workers.

So, what is behind this insincere attempt to improve worker morale? If you don't know by now we will tell you...it's more profit for them!

Will Covenant retain this contract to provide an inferior product to the stakeholders? Will a new company assume responsibilities at SFO?

We can and will increase performance for a company that cares and treats their employees with respect and appreciation.Covenant should be seen for what they truly are. They are a company that has always put "Profit before Product."

The answer is: Absolutely Not!

The question:  Should a for-profit, private contractor be responsible for the checkpoint and checked baggage security at SFO?

How has a company, whose main focus is generating a "profit", survived for so long? 

In the almost 10 years that CAS has been at SFO, they have never been able to have a schedule that matches operational needs.  Year after year, they just can't seem to get the hang of it.

Management likes to say that the daily movement of personnel is "flexibility" and a credit to their managerial skills.  We employees see it as just another managerial miscue.  Clearly they are clueless! ( The need for countless hours of overtime is a testimony to their ineptitude! )

A Special Message To Our...

brothers and sisters in the Baggage Community. 

At one minute after midnight tonight the former baggage leads will become members of the TSO ranks. 

At one minute after midnight CAS will be in violation of the SOP.  Shortly thereafter we will be contacting the Office of the Inspector General outlining these violations.  We will leave no stone unturned in our attempt to remedy this situation.  

SEIU - When asked by the....

baggage LTSO membership, who, BTW, are full members and pay the maximum rate of dues, what the union planned on doing about their pending demotions to the rank of screener the response that they received from Whitfield McTair was, "absolutely nothing!"

Well, being true to their word, that was exactly what they did.  SQUAT...NADA....ZILCH....ZIPPO.

This is the one time that they actually told the truth!

This is a perfect example of your dues at work.  Just what exactly are they getting paid to do? 

The "A" Team It Is Not!

Let's see....hmmmm

The plan that came out today, from the collective master brain trust of CAS, has raised more than a few eyebrows.

We have been getting this info piecemeal, so bear with us.

CAS plans to eliminate: the dental plan, our monthly parking allowance,  the CTX Baggage Leads, the yearly Perfect Attendance Award and pension Plan C. (What's next?  March Madness? Hot Dog Day? Thanksgiving/Christmas combined dinner?)  Forget about the Christmas bonus; they want to pocket that too!

Now, some members of the workforce are closing in on 10 years of service and would, under the old contract, be accruing 248 hours per year of PTO.   CAS is crying uncle.  Those rascals are planning to reduce our accrual rate. 

Evidently when they agreed to the contract, they never expected to last this long. After all, it was only supposed to be a 3 year pilot program contract.  (Ah, the power of those reelection campaign contributions and secret backroom deals, not to mention the profit sharing arrangements.)

Well, aside from being just plain wrong, it would also be a violation of the terms and conditions of the contract CAS has with the TSA. When CAS is not in compliance, they lose the contract.

Section H.19

H.19
COMPENSATION AND OTHER BENEFITS
Pursuant to Section 108 of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA) (Public Law
107-71), codified at 49 U.S.C. §44920 (opt-out program), qualified screening companies shall
provide compensation and other benefits to private security screeners “…that are not less than

Transportation Security Administration Page 74 of 245 RFP No. HSTS03-10-R-SPP032


the level of compensation and other benefits provided to such Federal Government personnel…”.
TSA will verify that each screening company is in compliance with this statute. In order to
perform this verification, the contractor shall include this information in their initial proposal for
the basic award, and then certify quarterly thereafter.

Maybe this is their attempt to coerce the TSA to meet their demands.

A desperate act from a desperate company! Is the end in sight?

Does anyone need anymore proof that...

a for profit company should not be running security operations at SFO? 

We have heard from both the checkpoint and baggage communities that CAS upper management has submitted a plan to reduce several of the benefits that are currently in place .

Isn't it nice to be so appreciated?  Isn't it nice to work for a company that puts making a "profit" their main focus?  Once again they have proven that, "they are just in it for the money."

Does anyone in upper management believe in our "mission"?  Have they ever believed in our mission?

CAS is overlooking how they are able to keep this contract for almost 10 years.  Is it their stellar management style?  Was it all their suggestions on how to improve security throughout the TSA?  Was it all the secret backroom meetings?  Just what was it?

Could it possibly have been the dedication and professionalism of the workforce?

What say you?

Could this be true?

Word has it that the TSA is looking into getting dosimeter badges for the workforce. Of course, they are still sticking to their claims of, "there is no risk to the public or the workforce."

But, to alleviate the concerns of the workforce, they appear to be relenting on the issue of supplying these radiation detection badges.

http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/01/07/0214240/tsa-interested-in-purchasing-dosimeters

The Upcoming Promotions

According to the information we have received the promotions for the CTX Supervisors and Leads will be announced prior to the effective date of the new shift schedules.

How about announcing them prior to the new shift bid days? Give the people who might have an opportunity for a better schedule(because they moved up a few slots because of the promotions) a better chance.

This is an easy and painless way to show some appreciation for the workforce that has helped make this company what it is today! Show some good will.

What ever happened to.....?

The petition that was submitted to management concerning a certain manager that alienated the majority of the CTX workforce? For all their time and effort, Nada!

Management went through the motions and interviewed the usual suspects, but as usual they swept in under the rug. Well, don't give up! The Feds eventually did get the "Teflon Don." So, all you petitioners should stay hopeful.

"Take your time!"

It is more important than ever to take your time. We all need to take our time and to follow the SOP to the letter. Do the job as safely and professionally as we all should.

There has been a credible, but non specific threat announced today and, if anyone needed a reason to exercise more care this is your wake up call. Remain vigilant even after the 10 year anniversary of the events of 9/11 have passed. The life you save could be your own!

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.

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

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.

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.

What we will not be getting!

You guessed it, we will not be getting a shift differential.

Let's translate, into dollars and cents, what this means to those who work between 1800 hrs and 0600 hrs. For the sake of argument let's say that it is a difference of 2 dollars an hour. Multiple that by the number of hours that you work. ( it will vary depending on your starting time.)

Now, here is the kicker, if one of those work days happens to be a Sunday tack on another 25% or, in our example, 5 dollars more per hour. So now, we are talking about an extra 7 bucks per hour. Do the math, how much is our not getting shift differential costing you? ( Per day, per week, per month, per year!)

This new CBA will be for 3 more years. Multiple all those numbers by 3! Figure out how much you are not getting and then tell us that it doesn't matter. It's time to get involved. Speak up and tell this union what we expect out of them.

If our "lack of bargaining" committee is not experienced enough to not sell us short they should bring in some more experienced negotiators.

SEIU has to show us that they are representing us well and that they are earning the dues that they so willing collect.

The Honeymoon is Over!

When John Pistole was appointed the new TSA Administrator, we here, had a difference of opinion concerning the future direction of the TSA. I, for one, thought that he was the right man for the job and had asked that we give him time.

Initially, the changes that he had suggested seemed to be for the better. Well, he has now proven himself capable of "business as usual." Has there been any real positive changes at the TSA? Can anyone really say that the TSA has improved and has earned the trust of John and Jane Q. Public?

We have seen numerous and embarrassing missteps. We have seen, almost on a daily basis, the lack of moral fiber in a few "bad" apples amongst the TSA workforce. We have seen the constant complaints and the call for change at the TSA from the media. Has the TSA made any attempt to properly deal with these issues? What we have seen is the creation of new departments and the ever increasing staffing levels. To what end?

What do we take away from what happened in HNL?

This should serve as a reminder that we are here to provide security. Don't let the size of the line or the amount of baggage waiting to be screened cause you to be less thorough.

We need to follow the SOP 100%! Do what we were hired to do and protect yourself from losing your job. Let's control the things that we can control. Staffing and scheduling issues are beyond our control; that's the responsibility of management.

As a private contractor in the TSA world we are watched more carefully, especially now since Rep. John Mica is pushing for drastic changes at the TSA.

"A word to the wise should be sufficient."

The Case of the Missing Water Cooler!

Mysteriously, a water cooler from the International "A" break room has appeared in Terminal Two. Upon see this during his rounds, an upset Donnie said, "This should not be here." Aren't there more important things to worry about?

Hats off to those who were responsible enough to make the needs of the work force a priority.