TheRoadie

From the latest "TSO Voice" union rag, discussing the voodoo science program. The AFGE union, of course, cares even less than DHS HQ that the program is silly - they just won't roll over when their dues-paying members have their jobs threatened. Because that's what this union does.



Aug. 29, 2014

TSA Announces New Restructuring of BDO Program

In a series of calls and conference calls on Thursday, TSA management informed AFGE representatives of new plans for changes to the Behavior Detection Officers (BDO) program. The bottom line of the new restructuring is that management has decided to eliminate full-time BDO positions at 35 airports in addition to the previous round of cuts to BDOs.

AFGE Council 100 President Hydrick Thomas and Vice President Alan Jackimowicz, along with AFGE General Counsel David Borer, were informed of the announcement prior to release of information to the FSDs. Following the FSDs’ briefing, a conference call was held in which Thomas, Jackimowicz, and Borer were able to ask questions and receive additional, although still limited details. FSDs have been directed to immediately contact AFGE Local Presidents at the affected airports to go over the changes and to lay out management’s plans for presenting the information to the affected employees.

Of the 35 airports affected, four are Category 1 airports and the remaining 31 are Category 2 airports. The changes will result in the elimination of 246 BDO positions. After these changes are fully implemented, the BDO program will remain in 87 airports, down from the current 122.

AFGE once again argued its position that, particularly in light of the LAX shooting incident, the union believes there is a need for more BDOs, not less. The agency indicated the cuts are based on budget and Risk Based Security considerations. Nevertheless, AFGE continues to advocate that the BDO program is an important layer in the overall security operation.

AFGE representatives on the conference call pressed for protections for the BDOs who will bear the brunt of these latest changes. We have been given assurances that protections offered last time re: 2-year pay protection, reassignment/relocation rights, etc. will be honored again for this round. Exact details will be provided to the affected employees by mid-September and the changes are expected to be fully implemented by mid-November.

In the meantime, there will be ongoing meetings and conference calls with TSA management to stay on top of the restructuring. While the impact of the changes will again be devastating to many of the BDOs in these airports, communication about the restructuring seems to be improving over the last time.

As always, AFGE will fight to make sure our BDOs are treated fairly, and we will continue to advocate to have the BDO program expanded. More details will be passed along as soon as we have them available.

Airports Affected by 2014 BDO Program Cuts

BGR Bangor International Airport (Bangor, ME)
BIL Billings Logan International Airport (Billings, MT)
BTV Burlington International Airport (Burlington, VT)
CAE Columbia Metropolitan Airport (Columbia, SC)
CAK Akron-Canton Airport (North Canton, OH)
CRW Yeager Airport (Charleston, WV)
DAY Dayton International Airport (Dayton, OH)
DSM Des Moines International Airport (Des Moines, IA)
FAI Fairbanks International Airport (Fairbanks, AK)
FAT Fresno Yosemite International Airport (Fresno, CA)
GPT Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (Gulfport, MS)
GRB Austin Straubel International Airport (Green Bay, WI)
GRR Gerald R. Ford International Airport (Grand Rapids, MI)
GSO Piedmont Triad International Airport (Greensboro, NC)
GSP Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (Greer, SC)
HPN Westchester County Airport (White Plains, NY)
HSV Huntsville International Airport (Huntsville, AL)
ICT Wichita Mid-Continent Airport (Wichita, KS)
ISP Long Island MacArthur Airport (Ronkonkoma, NY)
JAN Jackson-Evers International Airport (Jackson, MS)
KOA Kona International Airport (Kailua-Kona, HI)
LGB Long Beach Airport (Long Beach, CA)
LIH Lihue Airport (Lihue, HI)
MAF Midland International Airport (Midland, TX)
MLI Quad City International Airport (Moline, IL)
MYR Myrtle Beach International Airport (Myrtle Beach, SC)
PNS Pensacola International Airport (Pensacola, FL)
PSP Palm Springs International Airport (Palm Springs, CA)
SAV Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (Savannah, GA)
SFB Orlando Sanford International Airport (Sanford, FL)
SHV Shreveport Regional Airport (Shreveport, LA)
SRQ Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (Sarasota, FL)
SWF Stewart International Airport (New Windsor, NY)
TYS McGhee Tyson Airport (Alcoa, TN)
XNA Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (Bentonville, AR)

FliesWay2Much

It's interesting that Pissy and his politburo notified the union before their own FSDs.

This must mean there will be more ID checkers and more swabbers before the ID checkers.

Man, I want them to strike in the worst way....

N830MH

Still no PHX, LAS, FLL, and a few others airports, as well. They didn't cut the BDO program.

RadioGirl

Shouldn't be too hard: they do everything in the worst way.

Himeno

Does that mean they'd get told "go back to work or be replaced" like ATC was during their strike in 1981?

FliesWay2Much

That's what the law says, but it takes a Chief Executive to have the guts to do it. It's different this time around because the current Chief Executive allowed the clerks to unionize in the first place.

WillCAD

I'm not familiar with many of the airports on that list, but the ones I do recognize all seem to be fairly small places. Perhaps TSA is simply finding it difficult to fill their BDO ranks in such places? Or perhaps the FSDs controlling them have less political power than those from the big airports, so the BDO program, which I hope is on its way out entirely, may die a slow, painful, lingering death as FSDs continue to fight for every cent of boondogle fundage they can get.

I read a sci-fi book once where the main character lamented that somewhere, someone was probably paying people to put nuts on bolts because they were sentimental about the potential loss to society of an important historical "skill". I'm sure that FSDs across the country have become enamored of the BDO program, as it increases their budgets, employment rosters, and political prestige, while not actually requiring them to exert any more effort or expense, or to produce any tangible results beyond "law enforcement referrals".

I have long suspected that most BDO LEO referrals consist of a BDO pointing at a random traveler and screaming, "She cursed me with her eyes!"

chollie

Gotta love the perks of the job. They eliminate your position and you get to keep the pay for two years, even if you're shifted to a lower-paying position.

Where I work, if you accept a lower position (voluntarily or involuntarily), your first paycheck in the new position reflects the drop in pay. What's next? If TSA decides to reduce staff, lay them off with two years' severance?

coachrowsey

They should be restructured OUT.

Georgia Peach

Does this mean the BDOs at the remaining airports are more useful, therefore
still employed? Don't think so.

DIFIN

I think we need a new title for TSA occifers,.........CERTIFIED EBOLA SPREADERS

GUWonder

This POTUS won't fire striking TSA employees for striking. And yet I would find it interesting to see what would happen if we had a nationwide TSA strike. I would mention that a work slowdown action is a kind of strike action but the TSA striking offers an opportunity to speeding things up long term and so I would be interested to see how things would play out if TSA borrowed from the ATC playbook in the 1980s. I think we'd still be unfortunately stuck with a TSA even more desperately recruiting via pizza boxes.

tkey75

Work slowdown...so you mean days that end with "Y"?

CDKing

Please note I hate the TSA more than most. To be fair i have to point out my girlfriend works for a grocery store which was reorganized. She was pushed down from a supervisory/management position to a regular clerk and kept her current pay rate and its was not a 2 year deal

84fiero

Note that the Federal pay retention provision is not a TSA specific thing; and it only applies to forced downgrades, not voluntary change-to-lower-grade reassignments. There are restrictions and limitations such as being required to accept a later offer for a job in the original grade or losing pay retention status.