Millions fly through Sacramento’s airport. Congress can help keep passengers safe | Opinion

Susan Seese-Braverman
·4 min read

As the State Capitol of the most populous state in the union, a lot of people fly in and out of Sacramento International Airport every day. Just last year, more than 12 million people flew through our airport.

Each one of those folks will have their bags and carry-ons checked to make sure that there is no dangerous contraband in them. While it may seem like another banal part of the air travel experience, for the working people of the Transportation Security Administration, it takes effort, commitment and solid training to make sure that no dangerous people or items slip on board your flight. Unfortunately, they haven’t always been provided with the tools they need to succeed.

As the women’s and fair practices coordinator for the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1230, I work to ensure that the transportation security officers (TSOs) at Sacramento International Airport are treated with dignity and respect. I’ve been with our union since its founding more than ten years ago, and I’ve been proud to serve passengers out of Sacramento International Airport for over 20 years.

Over my career, TSOs have been some of the lowest-paid federal workers in the nation and have lacked many of the fundamental rights that their peers at other agencies enjoy.

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Low pay and poor treatment for TSOs don’t just affect these workers; they affect the safety of our skies and the efficiency of our airports and economy. Recent changes have put the TSA on the right track. Last year, the first major pay raises for TSA employees were approved, and workplace rights were expanded as well. These changes have already been a huge step forward toward fighting turnover at the agency and encouraging employees to build a career with the agency.

Unfortunately, these changes may not be permanent unless our U.S. Representatives here in Sacramento take action.

If the TSA is not properly funded, these wins will be put at risk, potentially leading us back to high turnover among staff and long wait times for travelers. That’s because adequate funding not only ensures fair pay for workers but also provides for up-to-date technologies and training so that we can adapt to new risks for essential travel in America’s skies.

That’s why I’m joining my fellow union members here in Sacramento and across the nation and calling for our U.S. Representatives to cosponsor the Fund the TSA Act.

The act, authored and sponsored by U.S. Representative Benny Thompson of Mississippi, will guarantee that we have the funding to continue serving the public. Since 9/11 air carriers have collected a Passenger Security fee of $5.60 for a one-way trip. Portions of that collection have gone to the general treasury of the United States. Fund the TSA Act calls for the fee to be raised by $2 per one-way trip and for all fee collections to be returned to TSA for security operations.

The Fund the TSA Act would guarantee that funds collected via the Passenger Security fee reach the TSA for its intended purpose. TSOs and the nation just narrowly dodged a disastrous government shutdown at the end of September. The threat of a shutdown still looms over federal workers as the House only extended funding for 45 days after the September deadline, not to mention the fact that the House still lacks a speaker.

The calamity in Congress further proves just how vital the Fund the TSA Act is. During government shutdowns, Transportation Security Officers are expected to continue to work — unpaid — for the duration of the shutdown. While we do receive back pay, for those living paycheck to paycheck, that’s little comfort. The Fund the TSA Act guarantees that TSOs will be paid throughout the duration of a government shutdown, no matter what drama occurs in Washington, D.C.

As the folks on the frontlines keeping our nation’s skies safe, TSOs deserve fair treatment and the tools they need to make sure that a tragedy like 9/11 never again occurs. That’s why I’m encouraging our U.S. Representatives to stand with us and cosponsor the Fund the TSA Act.

Susan Seese-Braverman is the women’s and fair practice coordinator for the American Federation of Government Employees 1230, which represents transportation security officers at the Sacramento International Airport.