AFGE is urging members of Congress to vote yes on a bill that would strengthen national security, promote equal pay, and improve morale of Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) as the House of Representatives takes up the bill this week.
Since the inception of TSA almost 21 years ago, TSOs’ job has been to protect air travelers from harm, including terrorist attacks, and they have ably performed their duties. The officers, however, are among the lowest-paid and worst treated workers in the federal government despite the importance of their job.
That’s because the law that created TSA gave the agency broad authority to develop its own workplace policies independent of the rest of government. This has proven to be a wrong move – TSA has higher turnover and lower morale than most agencies because of a lack of workplace protections and rights enjoyed by other similar federal employees, which has led to discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and humiliation for TSOs in the workplace. The federal government’s job satisfaction surveys have placed TSA at or near the bottom every year.
Many TSOs also leave after only six months, leaving TSA constantly short on staff. According to a 2019 Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General report, TSA hired more than 19,300 new officers in 2016 and 2017 but lost more than 15,500 officers.
Due to low pay, many must work two jobs to make ends meet. While it takes 18 years to advance to the top step in the GS system, it takes 30 years to advance through a TSA pay band.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in June last year directed TSA Administrator David Pekoske to issue a new determination on pay and working conditions and to bargain a new contract with AFGE to more closely align with rights and benefits provided to federal workers working under Title 5 of the United States Code, which covers most federal employees.
AFGE welcomed the historic and unprecedented step Secretary Mayorkas has taken. TSO rights and benefits, however, need to be secured in statute to prevent future administrators from taking them away.
Here’s how H.R. 903 honors TSOs and the work they do protecting all of us:
In his 2023 budget proposal, President Biden included sufficient funds for the migration to the GS system and the necessary bargaining and MSPB rights.
AFGE is urging members of Congress to oppose any amendments that weaken the bill’s intent to achieve fair pay, a fair opportunity and put an end to this failed, toxic system.
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