Today was one of the most shocking days of my life as far as witnessing the largest violation of a workers rights.  The part that made it even more disturbing was the fact it was a worker from our famouse Homeland Security TSA division.  It was brought to my attention on May 21st by a worker of TSA about an investigation that was suppose to be confidential.  The amazing fact is it was brought to my attention by a TSA employee that was not involved in the investigation but more concerned about the method of the investigation.  Within 30 minutes I received a call from the worker being investigated saying this whole thing is suppose to be confidential and to keep it between us.  The funny thing is, I already knew about it.  So much for confidentiality. 

On May 21st the worker in question was brought into a managers office for an investigation over a bottle of lotion that was given to her as a gift from a janitor she has known for two years.  But she was told to write a statement over the bottle of lotion because it was a violation of conduct.  Her witness was the investigators boyfriend (so the rumor is anyways in TSA).  The worker was not given the option to have her own witness present or her Union Representative.  After she wrote her statement over the incident she went home and was told they would keep her informed of the investigation. 

On May 24th the worker received a call to come to the TSA office for a meeting with some office director and for her not to worry.  I was invited to attend the meeting.  At the meeting what I witnessed was enough to make my skin crawl with disgust at the worker rights violations happening right in front of me.  What makes this even worse was the fact it is a Federal Government Agency that is guilty of the violation.  The worker was told not to have any tape recording device on the table on.  The worker was told their was to be no rebutal or discussions allowed.  She could only ask questions regarding her termination papers.  She honestly was not even aware of the extent of the charges brought against her leading up to the termination.  Except for what was being told to her from other TSA employees.  But this whole investigation was suppose to be confidential.  In the meeting her witnesses where not even allowed to talk nor was she allowed to show the letter to her Union Representative.  It took every ounce of self discipline I could mustar not to tell that so called manager what I felt of his procedures and how much of a violation is actually happening right before my eyes.  I was sick to my stomach at this event.

Now the shocker to this whole thing is this.  I had already had my own investigation done into this matter with the same witnesses being asked questions concerning the events of that day.  What is even funnier then that, is that I have the same exact statements they gave to the TSA Managers.  What those statements read and what the workers termination papers stated was definitely two different things.  Which now a Union Attorney will be handling from this moment forward.

The worker has stated that she is going to push this issue forward to prevent this type of behavior from taking place to somebody else.  I have personally spoke with a Union President out of Walla Walla about this issue and he informed me that this type of behavior in TSA happens every week.  That is why a Union must be formed. 

Which I now fully understand and agree with after witnessing the most horrible violation I have ever seen in my life.  Their type of behavior is something I would expect in a third world country.  Not the United States of America.  Not the country where we have rights as an American citizen.  Especially the right to due process.

So from this moment on I will dedicate myself to worker's rights and I am dead set against our outsourcing of jobs to cheaper labor overseas.  I am 150% for our workers to have the full rights that they deserve.  Especially in this type of situation.  So when the day comes those managers are going to discover that the term they like to use, "No rebutal or discussion will be held," will be unacceptable in this society.