Since my indoctrination into the Border Patrol I have heard
the saying repeated over and over that “The Border Patrol is a Family.” My
question is, if we are family then why is the Border Patrol keeping families
apart and in some cases breaking up families?
I had an interesting meeting with Border Patrol Management
in Washington DC. The meeting was to discuss the
Compassionate/Spousal transfer and the hardship program. The meeting began very
cordially with discussions of children and personal introductions. My intention
was to get the answer to a simple question: “What needs to happen to allow the
over 40 agents nationwide who have been approved by the aforementioned programs
to be allowed to complete the transfers they have qualified for?” This was my
only real reason for the meeting. I will not keep you in suspense. I never
received a direct answer to this question. Instead I was told about manpower
levels, needs of the service and what the agency could not do.
For example:
I was told due to the numbers even though these agents are
in dire circumstances that qualify them to move they can’t be permanently
relocated. Instead, in addition to the stress of their current situation they
will have to wait until the location they desire to go to drops below an
established staffing level set by headquarters. The number was a hard number
that could not be change for any reason (unless they are told to change it). It should be noted that this “hard” number can change from year to
year. Employees can also request temporary details every 30 days that are
subject to denial at any given time for any reason whatsoever.
I was told that due to the budget agents who are enduring a
hardship and qualify to move, will not be moved. Get this, the reason they
would not do this is because these agents ‘deserve’ to be paid so until there
is funding the service can’t move them. So, because the service cares so much
about these agents they “can’t” move them. How about the fact that “IT’STHE
LAW!” You have to pay them. Here is a novel idea. Allow them to move with the
promise (legal contract) that you will pay them when funding becomes available.
I know that’s just crazy talk.
I was told that agents should be more reasonable about where
they request to go. In other words if one spouse is in San Diego and one is in
Calexico (no offense to my brothers in CAX) they should consider going to
the less desirable location because they would have a better chance of getting
it approved. In my mind I am thinking, but you told me the numbers in these two
areas did not allow anyone to move to either of these locations, so what
difference does it make using your logic from earlier in the conversation you
still will not move them. Part of this conversation went into the fact that managers
out there are misinforming agents about the programs. Agents are being told the
agency will ignore what they requested and make an offer that is opposite of
what they requested and then drop them from the program if they turn down the
offer. Or better yet agents are being told they can’t put in for the program
because they are too junior. The response I got to these real case scenarios
was well we can’t control what our managers say? What? Pause for a head shake! This really happened.
That conversation ended with the most ludicrous statement of all. I was told
that maybe I should tell my members that they would have a better chance of
relocating if they promoted!
All these excuses boiled down to the agency saying the
equivalent of “I don’t have to so I will not do it!”
I’m sorry, excuse me but I thought this was a compassionate
transfer program. I thought we were family. I thought the agency “cared” about
its employees. In order to effectively run a compassionate program you first
have to have compassion.
We will be getting with the attorneys and the media in order
to continue this fight. If you are waiting for a compassionate/hardship or
spousal transfer we highly recommend notifying your local representatives (Congress
and Senate) and asking them for assistance also. We as a union will find a way
to make these moves happen! These agents deserve better from the agency that
says “we are family” and we as a union will not allow the incompetence and
bureaucracy of the agency to further harm these agents who are already going
through trying times.
