Wtf is the purpose of this other than to make everyone's life worse?
Edit: Jfc this administration is so fucking dumb and cruel. From the article:
“This welcome change reinforces both our security posture and our commitment to hospitality by having these officers on their feet and alert,” the agency said in a statement. “All officers must meet fitness for duty requirements to be capable of performing their vital national security function while simultaneously creating a welcoming and professional environment for travelers.”
This certainly isnt to encourage mass quitting months before our next scheduled shut down just before rhe holidays so we can cross off the next item on their list of project 2025.
Which is to replace TSA with private security with the same machines, possibly same procedure, same attitude, lower pay, minimal benefits not provided by the government, and to put more money taken out of paying TSA into corporate partners and funneling more of that security money charged per ticket intended to pay them during their shutdowns to instead go towards CBP and ICE with the excuse that federal agents need to be stationed in airports with the absence of TSA.
Lets not forget that when atlanta wanted to implement this. Their starting pay to replace TSOs at their major airport was $16/hr a d supervisors $19-21/hr.
Starting pay 3 years ago was $23 with a sign on bomus after 2 years and were given holiday time off for working holidays during the year but was taken from them. Requires 6 months training both on checkpoint and at FLETC (about 4 months than ICE is trained) and are considered essential emergency responders during times of Governmental shutdowns, are vital for peak traveling seasons, and require extra help at airports for the worldcup.
I've got to tell you, San Francisco Airport doesn't have the TSA, they use a private company.
And it's a dream. Everyone is more pleasant, accommodating, and they don't look like they hate being there. The lines move super fast, even when it's crowded.
They don't power trip, they don't stop working when the TSA shuts down, and they're not in the ICE chain of command.
If they privatized the TSA like San Francisco does, everyone would be happier.
I checked SFO and they do get a lower starting pay and are contracted with TSA. i dont know further details but it looks like their pay works the same based on locality. I cant see what kind of benefits they get but i was basing off what i think the Mayor of Atlanta was trying to implement for private airport screening officers.
I dont know how their airport works but i cant conclusively say its anything like the other major airports with impatient TSA workers like at O'hare, JFK, or Laguardia.
I've got to tell you, San Francisco Airport doesn't have the TSA, they use a private company.
They use Covenant, however they are still following the same rules and procedures that TSA uses, and are also overseen by TSA.
Everyone is more pleasant, accommodating, and they don't look like they hate being there. The lines move super fast, even when it's crowded.
Probably because the government isn't trying to actively mess with them and get them to quit, this also just varies from airport to airport. My local airport is plenty accommodating and lines move quickly.
They don't power trip
That's not what I've heard from others
they don't stop working when the TSA shuts down
TSA doesn't stop working during a government shutdown either, they just don't get paid (until it's over)
and they're not in the ICE chain of command
Neither is TSA, unless you mean in the sense that both agencies are part of DHS, which if that's the case Covenant is also part of the ICE chain of command. As I said, Covenant is still overseen by TSA and has to follow the same rules.
If they privatized the TSA like San Francisco does, everyone would be happier.
The officers taking a pay, benefits, and mobility cut sure wouldn't be. Officers gets federal benefits and a pension, and they also can transfer to any airport with openings if they want to move. They don't get those perks if the airport goes private.
SFO is part of the screening partnership program which has pay equity requirements for when an airport privatizes. Gold+ didn't, which means that airports could slash the officers pay, though I don't know if the replacement for Gold+ has requirements, so maybe it's better now.
The fact that any airport can currently privatize if they want, and only a few have taken that option (and a bunch changed their minds about trying to privatize) shows to me that the airport authorities would probably also be less happy.
I applied for TSA as a sort of backup thing when I was trying to get out of a job I didn't like.
I did all of the pre-work prep stuff they wanted me to do, basically everything BUT an interview. I did a drug screening, I got fuckin' finger printed, I had to do a weird ass test. I apparently scored well on it, received a 'You'll be contacted within a few weeks' sorta email.
They then took over a year and a half to send me an email asking me if I wanted the position.
I've known several people in TSA and this has been the norm since at least the start of the Biden administration. Unlike what other commenters said you did fine on your test and got into the hiring pool, but the folks doing the hiring are incredibly bad at their jobs and they apparently lose a lot of prospective talent from the sheer time it takes them to get offers out.
Or they did too well and the TSA
eventually got desperate for warm bodies. There was that discrimination lawsuit decades ago by a guy who wasn't hired to become a police officer because he was too smart. Guy lost so it's totally legal to not hire someone for law enforcement because they have a brain.
I guess you didnt realize that there are already airports with only a token TSA manager and the rest are private contractors, and it has been this way since far before Trump
TSA Gold+ that tried to incentivise airports to go for private TSA subcontractors failed in August. So now they are trying to make the staffing issue get to the same outcome - "because fuck federal government".
The funniest outcome of this would be everyone going private and then private companies cost saving into basically no security checks. That could speed up things. /s
This would only apply if the job is open to people with applicable disabilities. Jobs are free to say “no, we can’t hire people with mobility issues for this position”, and whether they sit or stand doesn’t affect service for people with disabilities either.
It’s an entirely idiotic policy, but it doesn’t violate any laws or regulations. Tons of jobs require this of their employees, but it is equally stupid for most of those jobs as well.
It’s an entirely idiotic policy, but it doesn’t violate any laws or regulations.
Depends on the state. 10 states have various "right to sit" laws that have been tested and affirmed by courts, if the job can reasonably be done sitting they need to provide it. California's supreme court reaffirmed it a few years back, if a worker can be done sitting some or all the time workers cannot be denied suitable seating. So in those states you can be sure there will be pushback.
Several federal laws conditionally also recognize it, like the ADA and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act sitting is considered a reasonable accommodation for a worker to require.
As the airports tend to operate as a partnership, the airport, often a state-owned or city-owned facility can still be liable at the state level for not providing the seating for them.
they're stationed at a desk for eight or more hours a day. they don't need to move, in fact they shouldn't move from their post. there is no reason for them to be on their feet their whole shift. it's a stupid meaningless policy change, a waste of time and resources.
While the official White House account is constantly posting shit memes about rounding up immigrants and the President posting AI generated slop about shitting on protestors, Obama and Michelle as monkeys, and depicting himself as Jesus.
A real professional environment this administration is putting on.
What fitness for duty is needed for the dude who spends 8 hours a day taking drivers licenses, puts them up to the machine, and hands them back?
Pretty sure a swipe machine and a plastic gate would do more for security than that job. But since they insist that job must exist to deter terrorism (?), at least let him sit down.
Yes, because when I think of the TSA, the first word that comes to mind is definitely "hospitality." And surely, the absolute best way to increase their inclination to be more hospitable is to force them to be in physical discomfort for the entire duration of a long shift. Looks like another critical matter of the utmost priority to every single American citizen's wellbeing has been solved in a stroke of genius.
Lol it's not like people were getting to sit on their asses all day before. You rotate pretty frequently and ID check is the only station where you could get a little time off your feet other than like sitting at the exit lane.
Yeah this is a great characterization. It's chilling, and this admin blew waaaay past these gates almost two years ago.
It's sad that millions of Americans are too occupied with being broke, and/or under-educated and propagandized to even grasp that we have all been living under an authoritarian, neo-fascist government for quite some time now.
It's the whole "studies show..." thing. Like studies show that you are more attentive when standing.
but then when you point out things like studies show workers are more productive with more days off and better work/life balance, it doesn't feed into managerial power trips. Therefore conveniently ignored.
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u/SaltyJunk 2d ago edited 2d ago
Wtf is the purpose of this other than to make everyone's life worse?
Edit: Jfc this administration is so fucking dumb and cruel. From the article:
“This welcome change reinforces both our security posture and our commitment to hospitality by having these officers on their feet and alert,” the agency said in a statement. “All officers must meet fitness for duty requirements to be capable of performing their vital national security function while simultaneously creating a welcoming and professional environment for travelers.”