TSA Is Not For Sale FAQ: Why Privatization Is Bad for TSA Workers
1. What does “privatization” mean at TSA?
Privatization replaces federal screeners with employees of a private security contractor through TSA’s Screening Partnership Program (SPP) and TSA GoldPlus. TSA still sets the rules and directs day-to-day operations, but your paycheck and rights run through a company that answers to shareholders, not the public.
2. If my airport is privatized, am I guaranteed a job with the contractor?
No. There is no "automatic" transfer of employment. You should not assume that a contractor will hire you simply because you are currently doing the job. In most cases, you would be treated as a new applicant and would have to re-apply for your own position. Contractors often use this transition to hire a different, often cheaper, workforce to maximize their profit margins.
3. What happens to pay and benefits when a contractor is involved?
Companies increase profit by cutting costs. Labor is the biggest cost. Privatization is estimated to cost the average worker $24,138+ per year in total losses.
Estimated Yearly Losses Include:
- Paid Parental Leave (12 weeks): $11,538 loss.
- Healthcare Costs: $3,000 to $6,000 more in higher premiums and deductibles.
- Lost Pension: At least $4,500+ lost due to the lack of a defined-benefit retirement plan.
- Lost TSP Match: $2,500+ lost through reduced or eliminated employer matching.
- Reduced Leave: $2,600+ loss from fewer annual and sick leave hours.
4. Who are the contractors?
Most screening contracts go to large national security firms, not the local airport authority. Big firms use standardized policies, rigid HR systems, and large applicant pools that make every worker more replaceable.
5. Will there be fewer rules if a contractor takes over?
No. Contractor employees must follow all TSA security policies. The stakes are higher because TSA can tell the company an employee failed to follow a rule and withhold payment until that person is removed from the site.
6. Do contractor employees have the same rights as TSA employees?
No. Many HR protections, progressive discipline steps, and development plans that apply to federal employees do not bind private contractors. If the company decides to remove you, your recourse is limited because you lose due process and the merit system protections afforded to federal workers.
7. Who is actually in charge under privatization?
TSA is still the boss. Contractors must carry out TSA policies and standards as TSA officials interpret them. The company adds a second boss with its own policies, metrics, and discipline. Same boss plus a new boss, but with less say for workers.
8. Do contractor workers have a voice on the job?
Without a strong union, contractor employees have little say over schedules, safety, staffing, or discipline. AFGE represents 47,000 bargaining unit employees and has the power to speak for TSA workers at scale. Contractor workforces are fragmented by site and by company.
9. Are contractor jobs stable?
Contractor jobs are tied to the award. Screening contracts are typically one base year with up to four option years. There is no guarantee the government will exercise an option year or that the same company will win the next competition.
10. Is TSA still a better place to work right now?
Yes. Even during attacks on bargaining rights, many bargained procedures and established practices continue in part while litigation plays out. A contractor has no obligation to honor any of those procedures.
11. What would I lose by moving to a contractor?
You lose federal HR protections, federal benefits, and an established path for career development inside the agency. Specifically, you lose a minimum of $24,138 in annual value and "priceless" protections like due process. You also lose AFGE’s negotiated procedures that protect fairness on schedules, leave, discipline, and training.
12. What is the bottom line for workers?
Privatization keeps TSA in charge while stripping workers of federal rights and roughly $24,138 in yearly compensation. It is the same boss with less pay and no say.
Protecting your status costs about $22 per pay period (roughly $1.57 a day) in union dues. That is less than a cup of coffee to protect a benefit package worth 40 times that amount.
13. What can I do right now?
Stay union, stay active, and protect your membership with AFGE E-Dues so your status cannot be touched by agency decisions. Organize with your coworkers, document problems, and bring issues to AFGE so we can push back together.
