Thread: U.S. Customs And Border Protection Officers Plan To Picket

U.S. Customs And Border Protection Officers Plan To Picket
Angeeneh Adamain- KFOX News Reporter

POSTED: 6:38 pm MDT May 15, 2008
UPDATED: 8:41 pm MDT May 15, 2008

EL PASO, Texas -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from El Paso complaining about poor working conditions and border security plan to picket Friday.

Union leaders for CBP told KFOX morale at El Paso's international bridges are at an all-time low. They said employees are overworked and national security is compromised as a result.

However, department officials told KFOX that's not true and bridges are safer than ever.

Long hours are not uncommon for CBP officers at El Paso bridges, but Thursday the union for the officers said they are working too many hours and are planning a picket. "What they are doing is preordering overtime, so the inspectors are working as many as 12 days straight without a day off," said Jose Gonzalez, a representative of the union. Gonzalez said overworked CBP officers are less effective and may be compromising national security. "If your mind is not clear, it is going to be difficult for you to protect the borders and protect the front line and the people and the citizens," he said. Rick Lopez, a spokesman for the CBP, said long hours are part of protecting the border and the numbers show officer effectiveness is up. "CBP management has a commitment and a responsibility to our nation and the public, and that is their safety.

We are going to assign our resources and realign our staffing in order to be able to meet that mission. Our seizures are actually are good this year. We are ahead of last year. We are excelling at marijuana, cocaine and document seizures," Lopez said. Despite the stats, the union is moving forward with Friday's informational picket "The picket it to let people know that if they are having problems coming across the bridges, if it is slow, it's due to a combination of all of these factors. If an agent is overworked, then it is going to take longer to inspect vehicles," Gonzalez said.

A border crosser told KFOX she doesn't think a picket is the solution. "I believe they are told when they sign on, they know they are going to work long hours, so I feel for them but I wouldn't picket outside of my restaurant if I had to work an 18-hour shift," she said. CBP officials said long hours aside, those working El Paso's bridges are more than qualified and ready to protect the nation's border. "We are not going to have a CBP officer working if they are not feeling at 100 percent," Lopez said. The picket will happen at the Bridge of the Americas from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/16280529/det ... p&psp=news

This would be good real life training for the thousands of our soldiers at Ft.Bliss. What can be better than defending our borders instead of Iraq's borders. Would be a better use of tax payers money anyway.

Liberty wrote:

This would be good real life training for the thousands of our soldiers at Ft.Bliss.

Folks like Ron Paul don't support sending our active duty military to the border.

Not sure if Ron Paul would not support this based on his current issues stance: http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/borde ... on-reform/
Nevertheless, we must sucure our borders by all means as he has stated.

Customs and Border Protection officers protest

By Darren Meritz / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 05/17/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT


Steve Munson with the National Treasury Employees Union local 143 comprised of customs and border protection officers stood with a sign at the bridge of the Americas to inform border crossers on problems union officials say the agency is having with staffing on Friday. (Vanessa Monsisvais / El Paso Times)Short staffing and pressure to relieve long waits at the El Paso ports of entry have soured working conditions for Customs and Border Protection officers, said union members picketing Friday near the Bridge of the Americas.

The National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 143 is composed of about 1,000 customs officers from the Far West Texas-Southern New Mexico region. Its leaders say bad management policies and intimidation tactics are causing officers to leave and are discouraging others from applying to work with the agency.

Heavy-handed overtime scheduling, poor communication from managers and pressure to staff bridges with more officers have created a rank work environment, said Brad Gaetzke, chapter president of the union and a customs


The National Treasury Employees Union local 143 comprised of customs and border protection officers stood with signs at the bridge of the Americas to inform border crossers on problems union officials say the agency is having with staffing on Friday. (Vanessa Monsisvais / El Paso Times)officer. He said schedules were changed on a whim as supervisors rely on overtime.

"There's not a lot of transparency between management and the union in El Paso," Gaetzke said.

An estimated 50 customs officers gathered Friday afternoon at the Bridge of the Americas for what they called an "information picket" rather than a protest. They carried signs that said, "CBP -- Stop fear and intimidation," and "Congratulations DHS -- Ranked at the bottom of the barrel on job satisfaction."

An official from Customs and Border Protection declined to comment. The agency has gone through two port directors during the past year.

"The mismanagement just continually worsens, and the intimidation tactics really surprise me," said Patricia Hernandez, a 12-year veteran of customs who checks vehicles crossing the border into El Paso. "There's a responsibility to manage and staff the bridge adequately."
In January, the House Committee for Homeland Security met in El Paso and discussed staffing needs at U.S. ports of entry. Thomas Winkowski, CBP assistant commissioner for field operations, blamed the infrastructure: "If you only have 14 booths to staff, that's when you run into problems," he said at the time. He blamed the low morale of CBP officers on the difficult merger of Homeland Security agencies five years ago, and he blamed high turnover on retiring baby boomers and a new generation of officers who liked to have "two or three jobs."

U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, last winter began urging Congress to allow Customs and Border Protection to put more officers in El Paso to alleviate long waits at bridges.

Darren Meritz may be reached at dmeritz@elpasotimes.com; 546-6127.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_9289280

Liberty wrote:

Not sure if Ron Paul would not support this based on his current issues stance: http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/borde ... on-reform/
Nevertheless, we must sucure our borders by all means as he has stated.

Paul talks the talk but he doesn't walk the walk where border security is concerned:

Voted on House floor against amendment to increase security with border fence in 2005

Rep. Paul voted against the Hunter Amendment to H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. The Hunter Amendment would shore up security by building fences and other physical infrastructure to keep out illegal aliens. Specifically, it mandates the construction of specific security fencing, including lights and cameras, along the Southwest border for the purposes of gaining operational control of the border. As well, it includes a requirement for the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a study on the use of physical barriers along the Northern border. The Hunter Amendment passed by a vote of 260-159.


Voted against authorizing the use of the military to assist in border control functions in 2005

Rep. Paul voted against the H. Amdt. 206 to H.R. 1815. The amendment authorizes the Secretary of Defense to assign members of the military, under certain circumstances, to assist the Bureau of Border Security and U.S. Customs Service of the Department of Homeland Security on preventing the entry of terrorists, drug traffickers, and illegal aliens into the United States The amendment, sponsored by Rep. Goode of Virginia, passed the House by a vote of 245-184.

Voted against authorizing the use of the military to assist in border control functions in 2004

Rep. Paul voted against the Goode Amendment to H.R. 4200, to authorize the Secretary of Defense to assign members of the military, under certain circumstances, to assist the Department of Homeland Security in the performance of border control functions. The Goode Amendment passed the House by a vote of 231-191.

Voted against using the military to assist in border control functions in 2003

Rep. Paul voted AGAINST the Goode Amendment to H.R. 1588, to authorize members of the military, under certain circumstances, to assist the Department of Homeland Security in the performance of border control functions. The Goode Amendment passed the House by a vote of 250-179.


Voted against authorizing the use of the military to assist in border control efforts in 2002

Rep. Paul voted against H. Amdt. 479 to H.R. 4546, the Department of Defense Authorization bill. The amendment authorized the Secretary of Defense to assign members of the military, under certain circumstances, to assist the Bureau of Border Security and U.S. Customs Service of the Department of Homeland Security on preventing the entry of terrorists, drug traffickers, and illegal aliens into the United States The amendment, sponsored by Rep. Goode of Virginia, passed the House by a vote of 232-183.

Voted AGAINST authorizing troops on the border in 2001.
Rep. Paul voted not to enforce the border by voting AGAINST the Traficant amendment to HR 2586. This amendment authorized the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, to request that members of the Armed Forces assist the INS with border control duties. The Traficant amendment passed by a vote of 242 to 173, but this measure was never considered by the Senate.


Voted in 2000 against authorizing troops on the border.

Rep. Paul voted AGAINST enforcing the border by opposing the Traficant amendment to H.R.4205. This amendment authorizes the Secretary of Defense to assign, under certain circumstances, members of the Armed Forces to assist the INS with border control duties. The Traficant amendment passed by a vote of 243 to 183, but the Clinton Administration never chose to exercise this power.

Voted against authorizing the use of troops on the border in 1999

Rep. Paul voted against the Trafficant Amendment to H.R. 1401. This amendment authorized the Secretary of Defense, under certain circumstances, to assign members of the Armed Forces to assist the Border Patrol and Customs Service only in drug interdiction and counter terrorism activities along our borders. The Traficant amendment passed by a vote of 242 to 181.

http://profiles.numbersusa.com/improfil ... &VIPID=787

As you can see, Ron Paul has had plenty of opportunities to support sending military troops to the border.