What if you received the same performance rating as your peers, but did not receive the same amount in a performance reward or pay increase? If you think that's confusing, unfair, and would hurt morale, you're not alone. Unfortunately, that has been TSA's standard operating procedure for years.
And for years, AFGE and our TSA Council 100 raised concerns about the inconsistent payouts. Thanks to our efforts, TSA listened and changed its methodology for pay increases and performance awards for the 2016 performance cycle.
Acknowledging concerns expressed by AFGE and its bargaining unit, TSA last week sent an email announcement to employees, informing them that agency has changed the payout methodology in an attempt to fix the inconsistency.
“The change in payout methodology is a step in the right direction,” said AFGE President J. David Cox Sr. “We’re happy that TSA listened to our concerns and made changes accordingly.”
There are four performance ratings: Achieved Excellence, Exceeded Expectations, Achieved Expectations, and Unsatisfactory.
Under the new methodology:
TSA said the amounts of the pay increases and awards will be announced later.
The change is a result of TSA officers coming together as one and taking our concerns to leadership. Last year, officers were angry that TSA unilaterally changed the way it rated employees and issued payouts. Instead of the four levels announced at the start of the performance year, the agency created seven levels of evaluation with different amounts of raises and bonuses.
The last minute change made it impossible for employees to learn how to achieve a given performance level – high, low or in between.
"AFGE made our concerns known and demanded that TSA work collaboratively with employees to develop the performance evaluation system in a way that complies with the labor-management agreement and TSA’s own Pistole Determination, which sets forth a framework for a relationship between TSA and the employees' union," said AFGE Council 100 President Hydrick Thomas.
AFGE applauds TSA for making the change, which will help improve morale in the aftermath of severe understaffing and high turnover. Because of low pay – many officers earn less than $15 an hour – excessive hours, and little rights on the job, TSA has lost 6,000 officers since 2011.
Want to learn more about AFGE and TSA officers’ efforts to keep the skies safe? Visit www.afge.org.
AFGE was back in court last week, defending our victory in the lawsuit we filed against the Trump administration’s May 2018 executive orders, which illegally attempted to limit collective bargaining, due process, and representational rights for federal workers.
Read More
Despite the important work they do protecting the flying public, frontline Transportation Security Administration officers are the lowest paid employees within TSA and among the lowest paid employees in the federal government.
Read More
The Department of Veterans Affairs is set to implement a new privatization program in June that will eventually lead to an irreversible dismantling of the VA health care system as more veterans are sent to for-profit doctors and more VA medical facilities are starved for resources.
Read More
