FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 08, 2007
May 08, 2007
Emily Ryan
(202) 639-6421
(202) 639-6421
AFGE Sues TSA for Reckless Violation of Privacy Act
(WASHINGTON) - Calling the recent loss of employee personal data a breach of the Privacy Act, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) - which represents employees throughout the Department of Homeland Security, including the Transportation Security Administration—today filed a class action lawsuit against the TSA. Last week, the TSA announced that an external hard drive containing archived employment records had been lost. The missing data included names, social security numbers, dates of birth, and payroll and bank account information for some 100,000 employees.
In AFGE, et al v. Kip Hawley and TSA, AFGE claims that by failing to establish safeguards to ensure the security and confidentiality of personnel records, TSA violated both the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA) and the Privacy Act of 1974. The ATSA explicitly mandates the TSA administrator to “ensure the adequacy of security measures at airports,” and the Privacy Act directs that every federal agency have in place a security system to prevent unauthorized release of personal records.
“TSA’s reckless behavior is clearly in violation of the law,” AFGE National President John Gage said. “TSA must be held liable for this wanton disregard for employee privacy.”
In the lawsuit, AFGE asks that TSA be ordered to create new security procedures consistent with the ATSA and the Privacy Act, specifically electronically monitoring any mobile equipment that stores personnel data and encrypting personnel data.
“The maintenance and safeguarding of personnel data is vital to the protection of security at our nation’s airports,” Gage added. “If the stolen information were to fall into the wrong hands, false identity badges easily could be created in order to gain access to secure areas. This is the Department of Homeland Security we are talking about. The American people look to DHS for security and protection. A DHS agency that cannot even shield its own employee data is not reassuring.”
AFGE also asks for TSA to grant administrative leave to Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) who request it in order to protect against or correct identity theft or financial disruption caused by this incident, and that no retaliation occurs against such employees who take said time off. Additionally, AFGE asks the court to grant judgment for all actual damages incurred as a result of TSA’s Privacy Act violations.
AFGE Locals 1, 1234 and 777, and TSOs Joseph Jones, Janette Nagel, Cris Soulia and Don Thomas are named as plaintiffs in the case. The three locals represent TSOs across the nation.
AFGE has been the only union to represent TSOs since the agency’s inception, and recently was instrumental in getting collective bargaining language passed in both the Senate and House.
Click here for more information (Members Only).
In AFGE, et al v. Kip Hawley and TSA, AFGE claims that by failing to establish safeguards to ensure the security and confidentiality of personnel records, TSA violated both the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA) and the Privacy Act of 1974. The ATSA explicitly mandates the TSA administrator to “ensure the adequacy of security measures at airports,” and the Privacy Act directs that every federal agency have in place a security system to prevent unauthorized release of personal records.
“TSA’s reckless behavior is clearly in violation of the law,” AFGE National President John Gage said. “TSA must be held liable for this wanton disregard for employee privacy.”
In the lawsuit, AFGE asks that TSA be ordered to create new security procedures consistent with the ATSA and the Privacy Act, specifically electronically monitoring any mobile equipment that stores personnel data and encrypting personnel data.
“The maintenance and safeguarding of personnel data is vital to the protection of security at our nation’s airports,” Gage added. “If the stolen information were to fall into the wrong hands, false identity badges easily could be created in order to gain access to secure areas. This is the Department of Homeland Security we are talking about. The American people look to DHS for security and protection. A DHS agency that cannot even shield its own employee data is not reassuring.”
AFGE also asks for TSA to grant administrative leave to Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) who request it in order to protect against or correct identity theft or financial disruption caused by this incident, and that no retaliation occurs against such employees who take said time off. Additionally, AFGE asks the court to grant judgment for all actual damages incurred as a result of TSA’s Privacy Act violations.
AFGE Locals 1, 1234 and 777, and TSOs Joseph Jones, Janette Nagel, Cris Soulia and Don Thomas are named as plaintiffs in the case. The three locals represent TSOs across the nation.
AFGE has been the only union to represent TSOs since the agency’s inception, and recently was instrumental in getting collective bargaining language passed in both the Senate and House.
Click here for more information (Members Only).
###
For the latest AFGE news and information, visit the AFGE Media Center.
Follow us on:
