Martin Luther King Jr. Day

While many of us know the historical stories of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s fight against racial inequality and his many triumphs and ultimately his final, tragic and untimely, death, not many know that Dr. King was a social justice warrior who fought for Unions and their members. In fact, just prior to his premature demise, Dr. King was out marching in the fight for AFSCME sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee. While many of our leaders within government, such as TSA’s Administrator, have honored Dr. King with their words and views on what he meant to our society and government, they lack knowledge of what he actually stood for; and their deeds are far from Dr. King’s beliefs.

Given the recent townhall (January 13, 2022) from Administrator Pekoske, it is clear that he actually has no clue as to the type of man Dr. King was; otherwise, he would have known that Dr. King stated, “The time is always right to do what is right” and offering an attendance-related bonus during the peak of a pandemic, during and after the holidays, in the midst of an unprecedented outbreak is immoral and simply put, not right! If Administrator Pekoske truly ascribed to the ideology by which Dr. King subscribed, he would also have understood that an “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Instead, Administrator Pekoske decided to play Acting-Secretary of Homeland Security by claiming that delaying full collective bargaining negotiations is necessary due to the need for congressional funding.

This is not only a bold-faced lie, it is sneaky, underhanded, and in complete opposition to Dr. King’s posed question which stated, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” In this case, we have found that Pekoske is doing nothing for others. Pekoske’s only concern is whether he will be reappointed once his term ends this year—and if he’s done enough to suppress TSA frontline employees in favor of ensuring those who are already benefiting from his administration, such as top executives, continue to do so. This is contrary to Dr. King’s beliefs. Administrator Pekoske hides behind congressional budgetary constraints and political gridlock in Washington, D.C. It is abundantly clear that his suppression of full bargaining rights is a longer-term strategy, not a fiscal concern. His over bloated budget request to “fund” Title 5 is exorbitantly excessive, begging the question of its sincerity.

As Dr. King reminded us, “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” We will not sit idly by as we are, once again, stripped of our respect, dignity, and deserved rights, which should have been granted upon the creation of this agency. Rather than become stagnant, disappointed, or useless, we will do what Dr. King would have wanted us to do, we will fight like never before and demand that we receive our due rights. Dr. King told us that, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Although we may not be able to see all that is in front of us, due to the obstacles in our way, namely our Administrator, we are only one step away and one step closer to achieving our goal. But we cannot stop now, we must press on and on and on!

On MLK Day, but not just on this day, we honor Dr. King for his righteous convictions, never ending journey for justice, and for his spirit of fighting even in the face of oppression. Together, as one Union, with one voice, we will proudly proclaim that we will defiantly oppose the last twenty years working under the oppression of dictatorial rule. Today, this iron-fisted rule remains at TSA, yet our Administrator chooses to throw us crumbs as he and those bureaucratic benefactors housed at headquarters watch us push one another out of the way for a measly sixty-three cents an hour (2,080 hours/$1,300). All this at the expense of our families and our lives, as they remain safe working from home, while the virus soars and we and our coworkers fall to its potentially deadly and dangerous ills.

Let us be clear, it is not easy to be the Administrator of one of the largest public agencies; and it is not always politically astute to show prudence to one’s workforce in these political positions, yet the voice of reason by way of Dr. King tells us that, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Administrator Pekoske, without question, by the power granted to him through law in Congress, possesses absolute power to do what is right—even in the face of political or administrative opposition. But we also know that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Will Pekoske stand against the winds of pressure? Last presidential administration he failed by implementing anti-worker, anti-Union policies—which he could have dismissed in the same way he is dismissing his current obligations of granting TSOs full collective bargaining rights, notwithstanding a faux budgetary crisis, yet he did not.

Administrator Pekoske is better at awaiting orders rather than taking initiative for an agency on the brink of collapse under his watch; though it is not that he sees us as an enemy, instead, he sees us as allies and friends, still Dr. King wisely informed us that, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Administrator Pekoske, with your words you have claimed to be a friend, while your deeds tell a frighteningly different story. If you genuinely care about the legacy of Dr. King and the important work he believed in, then do the right thing and grant TSOs full collective bargaining rights without conditions, schemes, or false promises laden with obstacles aimed at keeping administrative powers. For the rest of us, we must continue to voice our concerns, talk about the issues affecting us, reach out to our congressional leaders, and the media, for as Dr. King put it, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” And we will never be silenced! Never!

In Unity, AFGE Council 100