Cordelli is right, this was a "Minimum wage screwup".
Why do you think we pay firefighters so much that literally 1000's apply for jobs when only 3 positions open up. We pay that premium because we don't want the lowest bidder to be the one that will come and save us or our property. We would rather set the pay scale so that we can choose the best possible candidate.

Skylink USA, your examples may have less to do with wage scales and more to do with individual incompetence because most people in those positins likely behave differently.

When the bills in House and the Senate wash out, regardless of federalization or not, none of the current security screeners better have their job. JMHO