TSA workers, reps press for full GS rights
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Transportation Security Agency employees aim this week to see the House pass a bill that would provide them with better pay and appeal options, similar to those available to other federal employees.
A bill that, if passed, would give Transportation Security Administration personnel pay and rights much closer to parity with other federal employees is up for a vote this week in the House—and workers and unions are speaking out as part of the push for passage.
Similar bills have been introduced in the past—only to fizzle and fade into obscurity. But this year—with this administration’s strong support and maneuvering—hopes have been raised. The pending legislation, H.R. 903, faces its first big hurdle, a House vote, this week.
“Since the inception of TSA almost 21 years ago, the [Transportation Security Officer’s] job has been to protect air travelers from harm, including terrorist attacks—and they have ably performed their duties,” declared the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents tens of thousands of TSOs. “The officers, however, are among the lowest-paid and worst treated workers in the federal government despite the importance of their job.”
That grim characterization of the working conditions for TSOs is, unfortunately, accurate. The existing law that set up an agency to harden air travel security in the wake of the 9/11 attacks two decades ago is exceedingly weak on fairness for those who perform this key role. To date, agency employees lack full collective bargaining rights or access to independent review of adverse personnel actions. They are also underpaid when compared to other feds—and excluded from the General Schedule system. The pending legislation would end all of these disadvantages, boosting pay and transitioning TSA into the GS-system.
The Biden administration already has begun instituting many of these improvements, by using executive authority. But passing a statute—to permanently improve pay and promotion prospects as well as provide TSOs with proper rights of appeal—is not only crucial for the well-being of the workers, union leaders say. These steps are also needed as key improvements for the safety of the public. Currently widespread bad morale among employees continues to be reflected in high attrition rates at TSA. For example, as the union points out, in 2019 the agency hired about 19,300 new TSOs in 2016 and 2017, but then saw about 15,500 of its workforce leave in 2019.
A number of additional surveys—such as this one as well as OPM’s own annual canvass—have confirmed in recent years that there remains an ongoing problem of morale at the agency. Advocates argue that legislatively ending substandard pay and working conditions would do much to turn TSA around.