Great news for travellers: TSA votes to unionize

Yes, the title is sarcasm.

The folks who work for the TSA--the folks who pat you down at the airport--have just voted to join the AFL-CIO.

More precisely, they've voted to join the American Federation of Government Employees, which is part of the AFL-CIO.

Hmmm...I thought I read about union organizers wanting to unionize the TSA a couple of years ago, but Republicans in congress managed to squeak out an amendment to prohibit that. Anyone else have the same memory?

If there was wone, I guess it's no longer operative. Like the War Powers Act.

Wow. Combine the mentality of the average TSA worker with union perks, "work rules" and grievance procedures and it looks like most of the future delays in air travel won't be due to weather or equipment failures, but due to the TSA going on "sick-out" mini-strikes.

You know what would fix this in a heartbeat? Forcing congresswhores to go through the regular passenger lines like the rest of us--and without being allowed to tell anyone who they were.

Congratulations, unions: You just widened the radius within which it's faster to drive than to fly, by 150 miles or so. Actually I kind of feel sorry for the airlines, because this will cut their revenue--through no fault of theirs--at a time when a lot of 'em are struggling with high fuel costs and reduced business travel.

Sigh. A once-great (and still wonderful) country, dying by inches.