TSA union demands radiation monitoring at airport checkpoints

TSA union demands radiation monitoring at airport checkpoints

www.rawstory.com

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) called on the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Tuesday to immediately implement a nationwide program to monitor radiation output at airport security checkpoints.

AFGE is the largest federal employee union representing 625,000 workers in the federal government, including Transportation Security Officers.

"AFGE has long advocated for a comprehensive radiation safety program that includes monitoring employees for exposure over time as well as training and education," AFGE National President John Gage said. "In light

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It seems now that even the TSA Employees are beginning to see the potential dangers and health risks to the new back scatter x-ray machines being installed at the airports around the nation, and demanding some kind of comprehensive testing be put in place to monitor them.

While not highly regarded by many (I being one of them) it’s a move I greet with some cautious hope, yet also worry as the anti-union fervor continues to sweep the land how much longer organized labor, even those working for the government will have a mechanism through the unions to collectively address such things.

I also think back though too the air-traffic controller strike during the Regan administration when striking air-traffic controllers were fired and replaced with military personnel and permanently banned from ever working as air-traffic controllers again, with a whole new civilian crop being trained and then hired to replace the ones who went out on strike.

At least though for now it appears that some working for the government still are at least concerned enough about their own safety if not the travelling public’s to demand a more thorough review and monitoring of radiation exposure at TSA checkpoints.

If the traveling public joins in, in mass with similar calls, between the TSA employees and the general public maybe these ridiculous virtual strip search machines will be outlawed and the government will think twice before spending billions in a sweetheart deal for something similar.


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Now I WONDER why they would need something like this if the radiation is as safe as the government says.

Sounds to me that the TSA wants the monitoring to protect THEMSELVES and not necessarily anybody else !

The thinking seems to be one sided.


by the way, how was radiation detected at a few U.S. airports last week ?


the TSA didn't have any "special equipment" then, DID THEY ?

"AFGE has long advocated for a comprehensive radiation safety program that includes monitoring employees for exposure over time as well as training and education," AFGE National President John Gage said. "In light of recent reports that TSA has ordered re-testing of radiation-emitting equipment due to errors found during an internal review, TSA can no longer rely on the previously-reported test data for employee exposure."

"monitoring employees for exposure" ??

how 'bout the rest of us ??? Hmmmm


WHAT "previously-reported test data" ????


almost forgot .... S&F

Originally posted by BeatSymphonic
Now I WONDER why they would need something like this if the radiation is as safe as the government says.

It certainly isn't as safe as the Government says and I can't blame the TSA agents for being concerned, I know I sure would be.

This whole system comes crashing down the minute people start refusing to work for it and stop working for it.

That's something hopefully everyone will start thinking about.

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler


S & F. Give 'em hell AFGE! The more stink people stir up, the sooner TSA will get a whooping by the oversight committees.

I was watching C-Span this past week and saw the House transportation sub-committee (I think) absolutely GRILLING the heads of TSA about the scanners not really offering any increased security.

They were also catching hell about the data in reports TSA has made fudging the numbers on their internal "Tests" of security effectiveness. One congressman hit them right between the eyes with a conflicting independent GAO sponsored security test, which he said "Show appalling rates of failure" at TSA checkpoints.

It was GREAT, those guys were sweating blood

reply to post by xuenchen


You are absolutely right, this is all about the TSA employees only caring about themselves, but the truth is that they should be concerned about themselves.

When you look at the preacautions that hospital workers and radiologists use when giving X-rays and other scans and then look at how the TSA employees aren't, you do have to wonder as they operate this equipment thousands of times a day just how healthy and wise that is for the operators.

We might not have much luck at getting people to think twice and stop going through them, but get the same end result if we can get the operators of them to stop pressing the buttons on them.

Politics makes for strange bedfellows.

reply to post by mydarkpassenger


The really warped thing is that billions of dollars have basically been spent on these machines with little or no testing by the EPA or FDA.

So either way Americans lose, whether they are kept in place and we are all demeaned in this culture of fear our government promotes, or they are yanked out of the airports and we pay for them financially for years to come since we bought them with borrowed money.

I sure want to see them out of the airports and the TSA, Homeland Security, and Patriot and FISA acts overturned, hopefully without spending a lot more money that my grand kids are going to have to pay back.

I actually favor radiation monitoring....given the accident in Japan.
But they dont need to check my underwear, thank you very much.

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler


Many people can't quit their job to stop the system. They are grid locked into monthly payments from rent, utilities , car insurance, phone bills, food, and children.

The list can go on, but stopping the system is also stopping their family from eating. Some people CAN'T waste a days pay.

Originally posted by Enve718
reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler

 

Many people can't quit their job to stop the system. They are grid locked into monthly payments from rent, utilities , car insurance, phone bills, food, and children.

The list can go on, but stopping the system is also stopping their family from eating. Some people CAN'T waste a days pay.

Just so you know at the end of World War II when the allies took over Germany, the German cities had been smashed and demolished, most of the able bodied men dead or crippled through the long years of war.

The people starved as part of a collective punishment for months. Thousands of women committed suicide rather than endure being raped up to two dozen times a day by allied soldiers. Even in their emaciated condition they were expected to work at clearing up the rubble of their homes, shops and factories with bare hands and simple hand tools day after day, lucky to see a slice of bread or some watered down soup.

These were the ordinary people, who had to feed their families too under Hitler's fascist police state.

Being collectively punished for doing just that, by a world that had enough of their government's war crimes and policies.

You can pan handle for change now if you have to in order not to work for and feed this beastly government and maybe miss a meal or two while eating some government cheese here and there and living in a shelter.

Or you can starve when there are no shelters or cheese because they have all been reduced to rubble, and watch your women being brutally assaulted as punishment for taking the easy way out now just like happened in Germany later.

Repeat after me...Hey do you have any spare change?

Trust me it's the wiser course.

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler


Now Proto you wouldn't want them to get cancer in their fingering fingers would you, mind you that would be one way to stop their groping and a fitting karmic revenge for their intrusions.

Originally posted by Enve718
reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler

 

Many people can't quit their job to stop the system. They are grid locked into monthly payments from rent, utilities , car insurance, phone bills, food, and children.

The list can go on, but stopping the system is also stopping their family from eating. Some people CAN'T waste a days pay.

That's exactly what "THEY" want.

THEY have kept all of us from "doing" ... but we can all still "see".

Let the t(errorist) s(tate) a(gency) thugs get the retribution for their evil... Cant escape the justice of heaven..
Find it rather fitting the retribution they face for the evil they do ... Karma neh ..

Originally posted by Expat888
Let the t(errorist) s(tate) a(gency) thugs get the retribution for their evil... Cant escape the justice of heaven..
Find it rather fitting the retribution they face for the evil they do ... Karma neh ..

can't hide from the Sun ....

can't cover your tracks in the rain either ...