At least nine private security guards have been fired by a Port Authority contractor for sawing wood when they were supposed to be patrolling the airport. The guards were union employees for Covenant Aviation Security, and were paid $16.99 an hour to patrol tarmacs, inspect vehicles, etc. Evening supervisor Ronald Denig and at least one other boss snapped photos of the dozing guards, who have filed a grievance with the union. The Post, in an exclusive report that features a classic photo of Denig looking the part, says that Denig also had his photo taken while napping, but he got to keep his job.
An ally of the fired guards reportedly got a photo of Denig sleeping in his car in an isolated parking lot, but he only received a five-day suspension. Sources say as many as ten other guards may have been dismissed for slacking on the job in the past two months. (In January, a TSA security guard was fired for napping on her break.) One PA official tells the tabloid, "These guards are the first line of defense at the airport. Obviously, if they're sleeping, it's something that cannot be tolerated." But if the terrorists hadn't been so boring lately, perhaps these guards would have a reason to stay awake.
