Reps. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) and Nita Lowey (D-NY) recently introduced a measure designed to provide Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening workforce employees the same worker rights and protections afforded to other federal workers.
The Rights for Transportation Security Officers Act of 2019 offers the employees, who are also known as Transportation Security Officers (TSOs), full collective bargaining rights, opportunities to effectively raise issues in dispute to an independent third party and gain subjection to the General Services wage system.
“Our frontline TSOs keep our skies safe every day while receiving some of the lowest pay and barebones workforce rights in the Federal government,” Thompson, chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, said. “This last Trump Shutdown put on sharp display the incredible amount of stress our TSOs are under. It’s time to bring TSA’s personnel and labor management systems in line with the rest of the federal government under Title 5. By improving TSO workforce protections, we will be improving frontline workforce morale and improving our national security.”
Lowey said Transportation Security Officers are among the lowest-paid federal employees and many are still struggling to recover from the 35-day shutdown.
“These roughly 44,000 federal employees have been denied basic worker rights and protections for far too long, and it is long overdue that they receive the same treatment as their fellow employees across the federal government under Title 5,” she said. “Our bill would grant TSOs these rights and enhance America’s security by retaining experienced and dedicated officers with improved workforce morale.”