Every year, almost two million people fly through Portland International Jetport. Thanks to the work of transportation security officers like me, they will all reach their destination safely.
People tend to take our jobs for granted. You’re more likely to hear about long wait times or annoyance about taking off your shoes than you are about the important work we do. What you don’t hear about are the weapons we confiscate, the threats of violence we deal with and the grueling work hours we endure in order to keep America’s skies safe. Our job is vital to the protection of our country.
Unfortunately, after decades of mistreatment, it’s becoming harder and harder for us to do that job.
Transportation security officers are some of the lowest paid federal workers of any agency in the nation. We’re not granted the same rights and set pay schedules as our peers at other agencies. The consistently lower pay leads to chronically low recruitment. Many potential workers would rather go work for another federal agency or in the private sector, especially when faced with the stresses and grueling hours that come along with being a transportation security officer. That doesn’t just make it more difficult for us to do our jobs – it makes it harder to ensure the safety of passengers and leads to longer wait times at airports.
In fact, in Maine, the turnover rate has become so high that the agency posts overtime on a daily basis. At some airports in the country, a mandatory six-day work week is required to make up for the shortfall of officers.
As a nation, we can’t afford to keep treating our transportation security officers like this. We’re burned out and, despite the vital work we do, barely make ends meet.
Hiring shortfalls have plagued the agency since its inception. Luckily, long overdue legislation in the U.S. Congress would address the pay issues facing the Transportation Security Administration. A provision in the National Defense Authorization Act has passed the House and now awaits approval in the Senate. The House bill would move transportation security officers to the same pay scale that most other federal employees enjoy. Not only would this increase the pay for existing workers and help improve the agency’s high turnover rate, but it would also help address the hiring crisis.
We thank our elected officials, Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden, for their support in making the right choice by supporting the House language of the National Defense Authorization Act, which would lead to livable wages for transportation security officers.
We also thank Maine’s Sen. Angus King for cosponsoring legislation in the Senate for transportation security officers. His fellow Sen. Susan Collins has not of yet voiced an opinion about the chance to help keep our skies safe and support the working people who make that possible. We encourage Sen. Collins to support the House language in the National Defense Authorization Act for the safety of the flying public – and to secure decent wages for hardworking transportation security officers nationwide as in Maine.
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