RatherBeOnATrain

The latest outbreak of insanity in Atlanta:

WSB-TV: TSA Union President says Atlanta understaffed
Posted: 4:57 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015

A short quote:

petaluma1

[QUOTE=RatherBeOnATrain;25772662]The latest outbreak of insanity in Atlanta:

WSB-TV: TSA Union President says Atlanta understaffed
Posted: 4:57 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015

A short quote:

I wonder if they asked the passengers if the TSA was doing a "fantastic" job.

Boggie Dog

Anyone who thinks TSA is understaffed is clearly hallucinating.

Randyk47

And when was the last time you heard any union leader say they had too many members on the job?

chollie

American 'exceptionalism' at its union and government best: use twice as large a staff as everyone else in the world.

Because over-staffing always makes things go better.

I'd like to know the ratio between TSOs, LTSOs and STSOs. Sometimes at the checkpoint, I think there is at least one LTSO or STSO for every two-three screeners.

I'm in an industry where we are expected to function as responsible, professional adults, so the ratio of worker to overseer is much higher. I'd say you can never have too much oversight, particularly where aviation security is involved, but I never see the 'overseers' doing anything but jacking their jaws with their fellows or playing on their cellphones.

gingersnaps

Almost every time I am at an airport, more than half the screening lanes are not in use. The blue shirt claim staffing levels is why other lanes can not be opened.

Boggie Dog

If you look at open lanes you will see excess TSA screeners standing around doing nothing. TSA does a terrible job of manpower management.

gingersnaps

In my observations here what I see:

1 checking tickets
1 barking order about shoes
1 at the metal detector
1 male at AIT
1 female at AIT
1 at xray
1 checking bags
1 at the othe xray
1 checking bags
1 at the exit

So that is at least 10 people for what appears bare minimum. Minus the exit you need 9 people. While I do see blue shirts standing around, I dont what appears to be the number required to open more lanes.

TSA did try to turn the exit over to airport operators; the operators complained and moan about how its not fair to do that.

The article linked in this thread is not the first time screeners claim they are understaffed.

It seems to take a desparate person to stay employed with TSA - passengers hate you, your agency does not have a high regard for you, congress hates you....On a scale of "thank you" to "f off", TSA employees are just below the "f off" category, beneath the IRS.

Boggie Dog

There always seem to be a couple of screeners in reserve to do pat downs also. But, on top of that at some airports I have witness groups of two or three TSA screeners out walking in the terminal on the secure side checking boarding passes and such of those people already cleared. Then there are gate checks and other nonsense that TSA does.

I have seen two and three stripe screeners doing TDC duties. That is a waste of manpower right there. Why put a higher paid person in a position to do the most basic of functions? I suggest building a bit of time into your schedules and sit back and watch the show that TSA puts on. It will demonstrate everything you can do wrong in managing a workgroup.

I think a proper efficiency study would prove that TSA is not properly using the people available.

Himeno

The reason the other lanes couldn't be open isn't because of staffing. It's because the staff they have there couldn't be bothered to do their job and would rather stand around playing on their phones or talking.

Himeno

And yet, every other checkpoint outside the US, including those with body scanners, only needs 3-4 people to do the same job.

goalie

The only thing more bloated than me after yesterday's Thanksgiving feast is the TSA when it comes to the number of employees it has. Two words: re-assign employees

petaluma1

Let me fix that for you: Stop hiring

Reassigning only allows them to find other ways to waste our money. Let attrition bring down the number of TSA employees. Turnover is apparently great it shouldn't take any amount of time to cut the workforce by 50%.

Boggie Dog

TSA could start with a RIF of all BDO's since it has been proven that they serve no useful purpose.

gingersnaps

Start at the top, as suggested to Congress in 2011:

Key Findings

1. TSA Lacks Administrative Competency and is Made Inefficient by its Massive Bureaucracy

• TSA is a top - heavy bureaucracy with 3,986 headquarters personnel and 9,656 administrative staff in the field. (TSA‘s massive Washington headquarters supports 3,986 administrative personnel earning on average $103,852 per year.)
• On average, there are 30 TSA administrative personnel — 21 administrative field staff and nine headquarters staff — for each of the 457 airports w here TSA operates.

Recommendation to Congress

The number of TSA administrative personnel must be dramatically reduced. TSA‘s massive bureaucracy must be streamlined so that TSA can focus on analyzing intelligence and setting risk - based security standards without being bogged down by managing its bloated administration.