Posted on 01/22/2019 8:02:12 AM PST by SeekAndFind
The government shutdown, now in its 30th day and being the longest ever in U.S. history, has caused massive media coverage on Transportation Security Agency (TSA) employees and their fate due to the shutdown. This is precisely because the TSA could bring the country to a virtual standstill, and thus has more power than most to end the shutdown by pressure.
Over this holiday weekend, sick call-ins for TSA employees not getting paid during the shutdown hit 10 percent, suggesting that the problem could spiral out of hand, despite the Agency’s insistence to the contrary.
There’s plenty of reason for the public sympathy with the TSA, despite the grueling process they put travelers through at the airport. Still, you won’t find this same level of human interest stories about judges, lawyers or other federal workers affected by shutdown.
Part of the reason may be the fact that TSA employees are the worst paid, or maybe because the agency exists because of the 9/11 attacks.
More than 51,000 TSA staffers are involved in the airport screening process which is essential for people to travel across the United States. In average, the agents screen 2 million passengers in average per day at nearly 440 airports as travelers follow their instructions as if they are in the military because they feel safer doing so.
But now media reports are increasingly emerging about TSA workers calling in sick. According to a recent TSA press release, figures show that the agency has now experienced a national rate of 8 percent of unscheduled absences compared to a 3 percent rate one year ago at the same time.
Over the weekend, TSA closed a checkpoint at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport over a lack of staffing. The event occurred about a week after Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport closed one of its checkpoints. Airports in Houston and Miami also shut down terminal checkpoints over the weekend.
Even more alarming, the TSA was forced to call up National Deployment Officers (NDO) to operate checkpoints because of the increasing absence of screeners over the weekend.
NDO’s have been sent to several major airports, including at Newark Liberty International airport, LaGuardia Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
But where growing numbers of TSA workers are calling in sick, plenty of others are happy to take their place—despite the government shutdown—with more than 300 applicants gunning for positions just over the weekend at a Minnesota job fair.
In the meantime, the public is feeling highly sympathetic toward the TSA employees’ plight. Passengers have reportedly been dropping off gift cards, bringing in food and making various offers of assistance.
Members of the band, KISS are offering TSA employees a free meal at their Rock and Brews. TSA employees can get a free pulled pork sandwich or strawberry fields salad.
And then there is also American Airlines, whose credit union is offering 1-percent interest loans of $1,200 or the amount of a single net paycheck to airport security workers.
Last week, President Trump signed a new bill into law guaranteeing back pay for those federal employees who are taking a hit. But it’s not enough to make him look like the good guy in a historically long government shutdown over a massive border wall.
Even more so when the State of California is making a point to bring more attention to it by encouraging TSA workers to file for unemployment—even though that goes against White House guidance.
So not only is the TSA the one agency that could force and end to the shutdown, but it is also the key agency in the political popularity contest right now, and a lot is at stake over reputation.
Hmmmmmm...
What happens in the sky?
This is a huge opportunity for airports to privatize screening security. Even now, not all airports use TSA.
And....how big is the GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES UNION war chest?
You know, the UNION that has the TSA employees’ best interest at heart?
#WhereIsTheirHeart?
#DNCLoanFromCF
#ForHillarysCoronation
Fire them, those who call in sick and mobilize the National Guard, like after 911 for temporary duty to fill the vacancies.
Just like Reagan did with the air controllers, replace them temporarily with military personnel.
I disagree. Nothing they do is essential. If they weren't there it all, I would continue to fly as I do now but without the hassle of getting to the airport early and having a few government goons check me out.
ML/NJ
Th-th-then... Who will grope passengers and paw through their stuff? Will we have to do it to EACH OTHER?
I remember Argenbright, so I’d prefer the military do it.
I hope that they try it. The TSA at airports is an obscene waste of time and resources that is a nonsensical nightmare. They fail at whatever they are suppose to be accomplishing over 90% of the time even by standards they set for themselves. The employees should be thankful that this scam was able to be perpetrated on the American public for as long as it has. Anyone of them who fails to show up for work should be dealt with the same way President Reagan slapped down the air traffic controllers. Hopefully, this will somehow give the airlines and airports an opportunity to replace the entire screwed up fiasco with a competent system.
Let me be the first to say REEEALLLY??? I guess fact checking doesn't matter to the author, because I can recall air travel before 9/11/2001 and there was no tsa. My family also travelled cross country in a ...... omg!...CAR!
This whole article is a fake feelings are more important than facts , Its TSA propaganda.
Disband the TSA.
Lucy?
Since when do “we” ever count weekends and holidays as part of the working week?
If we’re going to start counting like that, the federal, state, county and city governments shut down each and every Friday afternoon and don’t reopen until Monday morning!
Dittos for holidays!
Some examples that even gub’ment employees can understand: how many days off do gub’ment employees get and do they work Saturdays and Sundays, normally - bingo!
So, subtract Christmas, New Year and extra days then and subtract Saturday’s, Sunday’s and yesterday’s MLK day and it does NOT add up to 30 (well, maybe by today’s publik skool math it does.)
The shutdown is the perfect opportunity to get rid of this government jobs program and return to using private security. Get rid of “ Thousands Standing Around”!
I'd be shocked if there are more than a dozen people in this country who give a rat's @ss about these TSA employees.
The TSA is generally regarded as a necessary nuisance. I would find it more believable that people would buy gift cards and food for the IRS employee who audited them last year.
Then watch liberals go into meltdown... liberals can't condemn illegals, they can't pity-party the TSA they can't attack Trump for what THEY believe in - it'll be cognitive dissonance everywhere.
Then watch liberals go into meltdown... liberals can't condemn illegals, they can't pity-party the TSA they can't attack Trump for what THEY believe in - it'll be cognitive dissonance everywhere.Come on Michael Scott - let's go with a real solution.
Fire them all. Shut down TSA
Let the local airport authorities hire or deploy their own security.
It will get worked out quickly.
Agreed. America had commercial air travel for 85 years before the TSA
They are in no way essential.
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