EWRflyr

From National Public Radio (via today's ATA Smartbrief):

With salaries starting at $25,000 a year, TSA screeners are among the lowest-paid federal workers, according to National Public Radio, a fact that may contribute to high turnover rates. Two unions are vying to sign up TSA workers in hopes of securing a more favorable contract, but agency officials say turnover rates are improving and injury rates are being addressed. "Our officers have extremely difficult jobs," says Lee Kair, who heads up security operations at TSA. "And they are very, very professional in what they do, and they're very trained and they're skilled at how to interact with people."

TSA Officers Among Lowest Paid Of Federal Workers : NPR

Love this part:

Then there are the salaries, which start at about $25,000 a year, one of the lowest rates in the federal government. Anthony (deleted), a 29-year-old father of two, says not only is it not easy raising a family on what he earns, but it also affects what he sees as the mission of transportation security officers.

"This is a very, very important job. You're dealing with people's lives every single day, and if you have an officer sitting there worrying about how they're going to pay their rent, or whether their car is going to be taken from them because they can't pay their car note, or how their children are going to eat ... then you're not going to have a happy officer there thinking about the mission," (deleted) says. "The mission comes first."


I'm playing a violin and getting out my tissues right now.

rickair7777

We need a federal law to the effect that no pilot will have a net lower annual compensation than the lowest paid TSA screener. If it's so GD important to aviation safety that THEY get paid...

ka350

Yep, things are tuff/tough! I just hope he can recover from his injuries.
KA

yamahas3

"This is a very, very important job. You're dealing with people's lives every single day, and if you have a regional first officer sitting there worrying about how they're going to pay their rent, or whether their car is going to be taken from them because they can't pay their car note, or how their children are going to eat ... then you're not going to have a happy regional first officer there thinking about the mission," (deleted) says. "The mission comes first."

Riddler

It's pretty sad when TSA guys (no experience required) get paid more than starting pilots who require several years of experience. Who really has people's lives in their hands? Apparently it's not the person sitting in the right seat.

If ALPA had any ballz, they'd immediately bring this to the public's attention.

SoCalGuy

"Our officers have extremely difficult jobs," says Lee Kair, who heads up security operations at TSA. "And they are very, very professional in what they do, and they're very trained and they're skilled at how to interact with people."




HEY KAIR!!!!

You can't referring to the SAME "extremely difficult" job that the Exit Monitor just "WALKED" away from in EWR last month?? You don't know what I'm referring too??? Let me refresh your memory partner......
http://gothamist.com/2010/01/07/newark_1.php

Words like "Professional", "Skilled", and "Trained" all in the same sentence are huge. Are those the same traits that are instilled/encouraged in TSA Officer's who see it "FUNNY" to plant powder filled baggy's in passenger's screened luggage??? THEN find it humorous to question them in a post xray shake down while watching the passenger sweat??? REAL Professional I must say.....YOU and the TSA should be ashamed.

As far as compensation.....there are Regional Airline FO's who make just about as much as your co-worker "Anthony" who cites his discontent with his meager annual salary of 25K. Just out of curiosity, did our friend Anthony, or most his fellow TSA screeners:

***Obtain a college degree??
***Did he/they go through several years of training/schooling to qualify for their TSA screening jobs??
***Do they have mountains of 'finacial loans' that they accumulated while funding their many years of rigorous training to become a TSA officer???
.......I would dare 'guess' the answers to most of the questions posed above would be a resounding NO.

You & your 'co-worker' will get very little/to no sympathy regarding your plight.....pedal your music elsewhere.

mustache ride

"The" TSA screeners make more than TSA Pilots.

hoserpilot

Our fearless Lego saviors. The professional underpaid tubstackers.

syd111

How about tagging on to the law that no air traffic controller can make more than any major airline pilot.

ogogog

i agree as long as 2 controllers are required on every position no matter the traffic level, and a auto controller function is installed on every position so controllers can hit the button and monitor the computer just like pilots.