I disagree with the we are on break doing nothing theory.

With our initial contract, we are only entitled to a contract signed 15minute break per 4 or 5hour shift. 8 hour shift agents get 30minutes, 10hours get 45minutes.

If all she knows they probably just finished their tour and are hanging around cleaning up slowly or just chatting for a few minutes before they go home. At my terminal(and MANYYY OTHERS), it is ZERO tolerance to chat with whoever is not on the clock in the sterile area.

I definantly do not agree with the TSA party costing that much, it should have been at least a 1/3rd of that, then maybe I can say it was justifyable to bring up morale and internal support.

As far as a lifetime achievment award, the agency might be 3years old, but maybe that person accomplished a lot in THEIR LIFETIME, therefor they are presented with a quality of work and LIFETIME ACHIEVMENT award for their doing in their life.

i agree, comments from the peanut gallery get old. people are not all knowing even if they feel they are in some respect.

it's just the level of agreed ignorance on the author's part that is suprising, and yet typical.

i could go on about some of the stand-out stupid comments that were near the latter part of the piece, but the main thing was that this person couldn't tell the difference between screeners who "screen" the passengers and management who got the party.

that's such a fundametal difference, and yet differentiating the two was beyond the scope of that editorial. even if it was the pivotal point that the person was trying to make.

shades of "that TSA screener!" (skycap) reference.

The subject already has an extensive discussion occurring in this thread.
I�m going to merge the two thread so we can keep all the discussion in one location.

_____________________________________

Cholula

Travel Safety/Security Forum Co-Moderator

When the shift changes at my checkpoint we usually hang out behind the checkpoint for the debriefing which can be as little as the supervisor saying "good job everyone see you tomorrow" or a discussion about new policies and what not. Yeah, we have had more than 1 person make a wisecrack when he/she saw all of us standing around waiting for the supervisor. Usually it's the age-old Thousands Standing Around crack.

It's funny how people will complain about seeing screeners on break. Sheesh, we are entitled to breaks to aren't we?

Thanks god we get de-briefed far away from the checkpoint unline other terminals/airports.

^

I about soiled me trousers when this story hit the news. It's like pulling teeth to get a printer, toner, gloves... but these guys throw a party that would make Hollywood jealous? I hope some heads roll on this one. Not only did they piss off the public, they pissed off a bunch of employees too.

Totally unacceptable.

Last week Ervin's office issued a report criticizing the TSA for an "unnecessarily expensive" banquet marking its two-year anniversary. The November 2003 celebration, held at a lavish Washington hotel, cost $461,745, including nearly $200,000 for travel and lodging and $85,000 for a party planner.

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/tic...018&ID=4035237

Welcome back from whatever Mileage Run you must have been on!

There is at least one other thread discussing this.

Does it also discuss the Extra money they paid Boeing for the machines? That's what this article focuses on.

There's another thread on that...

I am merging this thread ("What? TSA being wasteful with our money?") with an existing thread on this topic:

"TSA 'Party' Thread"
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=364462

-Chris
TS&S Moderator

At our airport, we do a Screener of the Quarter award which results in lunch with the FSD, your name on a big plaque in our office at the airport and an additional 8 days off. At the end of this recent year we had a Screener of the Year award which included all of the above with an additional dinner gift certificate for $100 to a nice place to eat, and choice of schedule for the upcoming 6 months. That's the extent of our awards. We give "attaboys/girls" when someone does something worth recognizing. Usually each shift takes care of its employees. I work PM baggage and we have a pot luck dinner at least once a month. Managers and Supervisors are always chipping in and bringing us food after a good week or something. And usually we have a cook out for the ENTIRE airport after each Furniture Market which occurs twice a year, once during spring and once during Fall. Our fall furniture market will conclude next week so I'm sure we'll do something nice like a cookout and usually we screeners do something for the Mobile screener force which comes in to help us out during these times. We just started doing bonuses recently which will occur once a year. The bonuses range from $250 to around $1000...the reason I say around 1000 is because no one actually knows if anyone reached that high but we were told that they could be up to 1500 but none of us front line people seen that. We generally keep a good morale and these things are what do it. I think our shift has the best morale because we are so involved with each other. We celebrate everyones birthday by pitching in and gettin a present and cake. We are all like a family on the PM baggage shift at our airport. None of the other shifts prefer to do any of the things we do and their morale is usually a little lower than ours. But we like doing things together....cookouts, wings night every tuesday, bowling....just things to do together...oh and christmas parties. That's what we do and I think it's enough. I agree that the spending on the party in discussion is way too much. Hopefully they will be dealt with but probably not.

Vlade, I support all of the things you discussed and hope that all front-line TSA workers have the support and community spirit in your post. Such measures can only accrue to the benefit of passengers who go through your checkpoints.

I also read Vlade�s post with interest. He/she spoke from the heart and I appreciate the inside look at the ways that TSA is trying to lift morale.
There are few people who post in this Forum, IMO, that hold a grudge against the individual TSA employees.
Most of the anger seems to be directed against the process.
And that�s probably the way it should be. No need to kill the messenger.

Then, I have to wonder why the pastor of my church was not up there. He's an ex-missionary, worked under horrendous conditions in third world countries, and you ignore him and the sacrifices he made and awarded it to one of your own?

Or, on a non-religious theme, how about Stephen Hawking who, while severely handicapped, has advanced comsological theory enormously while confined to a wheelchair and barely able to move? His magnificent mind refuses the bounds of his disability?

I'm only saying this because nothing in the above quote referenced employment in the TSA.

I could go on with lots of others even more worthy, but I think you get my point: I seriously doubt this was a non-TSA lifetime achievement award; I think it was directed to the TSA employees.

Just be honest with us.