Boggie Dog

Reported that TSA is planning to hire 6,000 more screeners before the summer travel season. Seems we'd be better off if TSA reduced staffing by a like amount or more.

The TSA wants to hire 6,000 new airport security officers by the summer

GUWonder

If the TSA eliminates the passenger ID checking requirement and other identity-based passenger checks, and if the TSA defaults to giving PreCheck-type screening to most all passengers, then how much of that 6000 person headcount increase could be slashed?

There are lots of open jobs out there in residential construction, package delivery, warehousing and now even manufacturing in the US that are in need of employees, positions that current and prospective TSA employees could do to provide a net gain for the country's economy. The country would be better off if the TSA weren't grabbing potential workers to fill the the TSA's "passenger ID is security" nonsense and its "war on water" bottles. I would rather have those potential TSA employees building houses, driving packages, working in warehouses and making stuff in America instead of taking harmless stuff at airports across America.

Boggie Dog

Might have missed it but haven't seen any announcements that TSA is contemplating eliminating any screening steps. TSA is the Chicken Little of current times.

TWA884

The TSA wanted 6,000 new officers by summer. Most positions are unfilled as airlines expect a passenger surge.

GUWonder

The hospitality and restaurant industry in various parts of the country are facing challenges with recruiting nowadays, such that there are McDonalds in places that were advertising hourly wages of $20 or a $50 payment for being a walk-in interview. So maybe TSA is facing challenges with recruitment for the same reasons.

I hope TSA is making a plan for staffing shortages for the coming busy travel periods. Here's a great plan for the times: eliminate the TSA's passenger ID checks and assign those TSA employees to do something that secures flights from real dangers on flights: screening passengers + passenger belongings for prohibited weapons, explosives and incendiaries.

Boggie Dog

Hiring short falls are happening all over. TSA would do itself a favor by eliminating the part time employees who often work split shifts and other less desirable time frames. I don't see the elimination of ID checks even though they serve no useful purpose.

GUWonder

I don't foresee the TSA's elimination of ID checks, but eliminating the TSA travel document/ID check would increase the throughput of the checkpoints using the TSA employees already on hand. Someone has to stand up for a sensible approach to increasing throughput using the resources on hand even as there will be people and airlines against the passenger ID checks being eliminated.

Boggie Dog

I wouldn't anticipate TSA being the party standing up for sensible screenings, they certainly haven't shown any eagerness to move in that direction so far. There should be a person checking for boarding/gate passes but ID checks should be eliminated. That person need not be TSA.

krazykanuck

Well it certainly won't be the TSA. Thousands Standing Around.

I'm not sure how much eliminating the ID check would really do though. The choke point usually seems to be the actual screening, not the ID part, and when you see how many people doing nothing it takes to run just one security lane, even if you took all the ID people away, I don't think it would make a measurable difference.

i0wnj00

$16.51 isn't bad considering the Fight for 15 movement, plus the whatever pay differentials are being handled out. Most private employers don't do this.
The background check is a make or break deal for most candidates, the SF-86 form is pretty detailed in what they want from you and depending on your history, it's going to take a loooooooooong time or you get adjudicated unfavorably. You can make more money without giving up certain details of your private life and the extensive background check.

Well, they always had a plan for staffing shortages, it has always been an issue with the TSA at certain airports, and probably even all airports pre-covid 19. Some locations can pull from other terminals, TSOs off of other duties, send officers to other airports and run all the lanes at a given checkpoint. They can even find "volunteers". Sometimes, you'll notice the Pre Check line is closed and you get Fake Pre Check.

The only question is, if covid 19 changed the staffing levels at the airports through RIF, quit/resigned/retired or simply got rid of "problem" ones. If staffing is worse than pre-covid 19, then better consider arriving much earlier than what you normally did. No amount of the existing is staffing going to help because everybody will be hurting.

This isn't really limited to the TSA, any organization with large amounts of labor and the know-how can move labor to where its needed, but at a certain point you reach a point with the law of diminishing returns.

I'm going to bet these 6,000 are mostly or very good majority of them being part timers and a good chunk of them will drop out of the hiring process, get fired, transfer to other agencies or find other jobs so they will never get to the 6,000.

GUWonder

The TSA's travel document check part most commonly takes away 1 or more TSA employee per open checkpoint that could be do something more useful to speed up the screening checkpoint. Whether the TDC-elimination can be used to give passengers an increased speed to clear of 3%, 6%, 9%, 12% or 15% or more at peak times or off-peak times, it's still an improvement in TSA productivity and passenger experience using the TSA's labor resources on hand.

But the chances of the TSA becoming a lean machine that increases worker productivity? Not high, if history is anything to go by; and even worse if the economy gets very strong and chugs along with high growth and a strengthening labor market making it even harder to recruit and retain employees.