FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 01, 2006
March 01, 2006
Emily Ryan
(202) 639-6421
Matthew Milledge
(202) 639-6424
(202) 639-6421
Matthew Milledge
(202) 639-6424
AFGE Fights to Win Back TSA Screener Jobs in Orlando
(Washington)—The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is actively fighting for the jobs of airport screeners who have been wrongfully terminated or proposed for termination by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials at Orlando International Airport.
Airport screeners at Orlando currently are participating in the statutorily required annual recertification process, which tests screeners’ knowledge of standard operation procedures, x-ray proficiency, and other functional abilities. In direct violation of TSA policy, management at Orlando is requiring that screeners who do not perform passenger screening take the passenger portions of the test. Management officials then are terminating these screeners for failing to pass that portion of the test.
"The decision to wrongfully terminate these screeners is being made at the same time TSA is lobbying Congress for $10 million to stem the abnormally high attrition rate at the agency,” AFGE National President John Gage said. “TSA is trying to stave off attrition, while at the same time allowing these absurd procedures to occur."
AFGE has been in contact with both the assistant federal security director at Orlando and with the TSA Ombudsman’s Office to make sure these screeners are reinstated. As a result of AFGE’s advocacy, all affected screeners have returned to duty; several terminations have been rescinded; and a review of management’s decisions is underway.
As the nation’s homeland security union, AFGE actively fights for worker rights on behalf of all TSA screeners, in addition to federal workers throughout the nation.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/custom/tourism/orl-tsa0206mar02,0,554490.story?coll=orl-business-headlines-tourism
Airport screeners at Orlando currently are participating in the statutorily required annual recertification process, which tests screeners’ knowledge of standard operation procedures, x-ray proficiency, and other functional abilities. In direct violation of TSA policy, management at Orlando is requiring that screeners who do not perform passenger screening take the passenger portions of the test. Management officials then are terminating these screeners for failing to pass that portion of the test.
"The decision to wrongfully terminate these screeners is being made at the same time TSA is lobbying Congress for $10 million to stem the abnormally high attrition rate at the agency,” AFGE National President John Gage said. “TSA is trying to stave off attrition, while at the same time allowing these absurd procedures to occur."
AFGE has been in contact with both the assistant federal security director at Orlando and with the TSA Ombudsman’s Office to make sure these screeners are reinstated. As a result of AFGE’s advocacy, all affected screeners have returned to duty; several terminations have been rescinded; and a review of management’s decisions is underway.
As the nation’s homeland security union, AFGE actively fights for worker rights on behalf of all TSA screeners, in addition to federal workers throughout the nation.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/custom/tourism/orl-tsa0206mar02,0,554490.story?coll=orl-business-headlines-tourism
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