WASHINGTON, D.C. — Transportation Security Administration employees who verify travelers’ IDs and boarding passes will no longer be permitted to sit on the job, the agency confirmed Tuesday.
Chairs are being taken away from document-checking podiums at security checkpoint entrances across the country, according to the union representing TSA officers. The American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100 said workers alerted it to the policy and criticized the decision as a “disregard for workers rights and safety.”
TSA said the change is intended to improve the passenger experience. Because document-checking officers are typically the first agency employees travelers encounter, the agency said having them stand will help create a more attentive and welcoming checkpoint environment.
“This welcome change reinforces both our security posture and our commitment to hospitality by having these officers on their feet and alert,” the agency said in a statement. “All officers must meet fitness for duty requirements to be capable of performing their vital national security function while simultaneously creating a welcoming and professional environment for travelers.”
The policy shift follows the confirmation of TSA Administrator David Cummins, who took charge of the agency nearly two months ago.
According to the union, chairs have already been removed from most major commercial airports. One union leader said AFGE and its local chapters did not receive formal notice before the removals began.
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“These chairs serve as basic ergonomic and safety support for officers that stand and walk on hard surfaces all day,” AFGE Council 100 said in a statement. “TSA is treating this matter like it is a privilege – it is not; it is basic safety and common decency for the workforce.”
The change arrives as TSA prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of its creation in November. Cummins has been meeting with officials to “rapidly advance key strategic initiatives” under an agency effort known as Horizon 25.
“TSA does not have to choose between a secure checkpoint, an efficient checkpoint, and an elevated passenger experience,” Cummins said in a statement introducing the initiative.
Horizon 25 calls for broader TSA PreCheck access, the introduction of new technology, the privatization of certain checkpoints and efforts to improve the travel experience. The agency has not said whether requiring document-checking officers to remain standing is part of that broader transformation.
The-CNN-Wire™