NTEU Efforts Result in Delay to Parking Fee Hike for TSA, Other LAX Employees
Thanks to continuous efforts by NTEU to mobilize employees at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) against a proposed hike in parking fees, airport officials have delayed implementing the increase for four weeks.
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Employee parking rates were originally scheduled to jump from $15 to $30 per month on Feb. 1, but the Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) announced it will delay the proposal until March 1 to better address employee concerns. Officials also decided to postpone another plan to close and consolidate other employee parking lots at the airport until March 1. NTEU has repeatedly argued that these moves will substantially impact TSA employees and others.
“Hundreds of airport workers have expressed their dissatisfaction with the proposals to us,” said NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley. “Airport officials made the right choice in listening to frontline employee concerns. I encourage them to take these plans off the table permanently.”
For nearly two months, NTEU has mounted a proactive campaign against LAWA’s proposal, including: building a coalition of airport employee groups to fight against the plan; meeting with LAWA’s top parking official; circulating a petition among airport workers protesting the increase; and sending a letter to the LAX Board of Commissioners seeking a roll back of the rate hike.
NTEU Renews Calls for Changes to Performance Testing
Following field reports of high failure rates and unfair testing protocols in the latest round of PSE tests, NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley has written a letter to TSA Acting Administrator Gale D. Rossides once again requesting changes to the agency's testing system.
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| Read NTEU's recommendations to address serious TSA workplace
issues including PASS. |
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President Kelley wrote to Rossides that, "You and I both know that these high failure rates do not accurately reflect the competency of exceptional screeners, many of whom have worked for TSA since its inception."
Kelley recommended that neutral third-party observers be present during PSE testing to help minimize disputes over rating scores. PSE failure rates appear to be lower at airports where employees exercised their right to have a third party observe their test. Unfortunately, at some airports, this has created another problem– the demand for third party observers is so great that it cannot be met for everyone.
Other NTEU recommendations include:
• Having ample observers available to employees during PSE testing sessions;
• Ensuring that employees' local training and instructions are consistent with the PSE test;
• Having PSEs administered by local evaluators;
• Using third-party observers who are trained in PSE administration, so that they may verify the evaluator’s conclusions, instead of simply reporting what they observed; and
• Ensuring there is adequate staffing so that employees have time to take PSE training modules before their test.