Senate Proceeding on Feb 3rd, 2011 :: 8:44:25 to 9:04:25
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8:43:10 to 8:44:25( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Amy Klobuchar

8:44:35 to 8:50:45( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Don Cazayoux

8:44:44 to 8:45:04( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: i yield the floor. mr. aka: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from hawaii is recognized. mr. aka: mr. president, i rise today to strongly oppose senator wicker's amendment to the -- to prevent transportation security administration employees from being able to collectively bargain.

8:45:05 to 8:45:26( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: there is really no need for the senate to use valuable time considering this issue right now. congress gave the administrator of t.s.a. the authority to determine if and how collective bargaining should take place in the air transportation security

8:45:27 to 8:45:48( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: act which established t.s.a. in the wake of the attacks of september 11. administrator pistall with a strong national security background is evaluating this issue in detail, and i feel that

8:45:49 to 8:46:10( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: we should let him complete his review. although i believe administrator pistall should be given time to make the decision on granting collective bargaing rights to t.s.a. employees, i want to address the argument some were

8:46:11 to 8:46:31( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: making in opposing t.s.a. workers' rights. i believe giving t.s.a. employees a greater voice in their workplace would be good for security. t.s.a. suffers from low morale, high attrition and high injury

8:46:32 to 8:46:52( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: rates. national security is jeopardized when agencies charged with protecting our safety continual ly lose trained and talented employees due to workplace injuries and a lack of employee protections. moreover, the vast majority of

8:46:53 to 8:47:15( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: federal employees have collective bargaing rights. this includes other employees of the department of homeland security performing similar security functions such as border patrol agents, federal protective service officers and immigration and customs

8:47:16 to 8:47:37( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: enforcement officers. in addition, there currently are some private airport screeners with full collective bargaing rights. airport security is handled by contract screeners in a handful of airports, including some large ones. these contract employees have

8:47:38 to 8:47:59( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: full collective bargaing rights. ironically, some have recently been arguing for contracting security at more airports, saying the security is better there. to be clear, i strongly support federalized airport security,

8:48:00 to 8:48:21( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: but if there are any benefits where security is contracted, perhaps it is because the screeners are unionized, not because they are privatized. proponents of collective bargaining restrictions say they are necessary so that t.s.a. has

8:48:22 to 8:48:44( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: the flexibility to respond to emergencies. that is simply not true. under federal law, agencies are provided the authority to take any actions they deem necessary to carry out their missions during an emergency. granting collective bargaing rights would not in any way

8:48:45 to 8:49:06( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: hinder t.s.a.'s flexibility to transfer employees in the event of a national emergency. moreover, under civil service laws, t.s.a. employees, like other federal employees, would be prohibited from striking if they are granted collective bargaining rights.

8:49:07 to 8:49:30( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: we all rember the heroic first responders who rushed into the world trade center and the pentagon on september 11, 2001. i vividly recall the capitol police officers working franticcally to protect our safety when it appeared the fourth plane could strike the capitol.

8:49:31 to 8:49:52( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: these were unionized workers, like the heroes of 9/11, the brave men and women of t.s.a. have dedicated themselves to protect our security. there is absolutely no basis for the republicans to argue that t.s.a. employees would invoke

8:49:53 to 8:50:15( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: union contract restrictions rather than rise to the occasion in an emergency. mr. president, i urge all senators to protect t.s.a. employees' opportunity to have a voice in their work force by opposing the wicker amendment.

8:50:16 to 8:50:28( Edit History Discussion )

Don Cazayoux: mr. president, i yield back my time, mr. president, a the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll.