Privatizing TSA Places Profits Over Passengers [BLOG]

AFGE President: Privatization-focused lawmakers put safety of public at risk

News provided by

American Federation of Government Employees

Aug 08, 2016, 12:13 ET

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Earlier this year, lines to get through security at our nation's airports were bordering on unbearable. TSA Officers were facing an ever-growing number of passengers while simultaneously experiencing a mass shortages of agents. As travelers' angst reached a tipping point in May, Congress stepped up and allocated some initial funds for additional Transportation Security Officers – and it's already paying dividends. Lines are shorter and travelers aren't fearing missing their flights.

The results are clear: TSA works. Their decade and a half of good work cannot be swept aside because they've been starved of the resources they need to get the job done right.

Unfortunately, this has done nothing to slow down the talks of privatization of airport security. In response to the growing chorus of anti-TSA politicians and corporate insiders, American Federation of Government Employees National President J. David Cox Sr. has written an Op-Ed on the dangers of privatizing America's security at our airports.

Originally published on the Huffington Post, you can see an excerpt of Cox's piece below.

In response to the most tragic day in American history, we as a country turned to TSA to protect us as we traveled. And every day since, they've kept us safe. They've stood on the front lines risking own safety to make sure we could fly free of fear again.

But as lines have swollen and passenger anger grows, privatization has become a cause celebre for small government politicians and pundits. Unfortunately for this short-memoried crowd, replacing skilled Transportation Security Officers with untrained amateurs will do nothing to shorten the lines. Instead, it will just make air travel more dangerous.

Prior to 9/11, all U.S. airports had privatized screeners guarding our airports. They were, for the most part, low-rent, inexperienced amateurs with no background in security operations. In response to four planes being hijacked and used as weapons, the American people told President George W. Bush, and his Republican-led Congress that we deserve more protection. They listened, and the Transportation Security Administration was born. Their charge was simple - allow Americans to fly safely again.

As a result, all but six airports handed over security to the trained professionals at TSA who have continued to keep us safe to this day. Since turning security over to TSA 15 years ago, some airports have opted to privatize again under the Screening Partnership Program. Their effectiveness – or more appropriately, complete lack thereof – serves as a vital cautionary tale as the push for further privatization gains steam.

Original Op-Ed by AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. appears on the Huffington Post

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SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees