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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Airport security employees checking boarding passes and IDs will no longer be allowed to sit down while working, the Transportation Security Administration confirmed Tuesday.
All chairs are being removed from the travel document checker podiums at the entrance to checkpoints nationwide, the union representing the screeners said. The American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100 said it found out about the decision from its members and called it a “disregard for workers rights and safety.”
TSA defended the move, saying the document checkers are the first to interact with the traveling public and requiring them to stand will create a better experience for passengers.
“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 move comes nearly two months after TSA Administrator David Cummins was confirmed to lead the agency.
The removal of chairs, the union said, has already begun in most commercial airports. There was no formal notification to AFGE or any of its local chapters, according to one union leader.
“These chairs serve as basic ergonomic and safety support for officers that stand and walk on hard surfaces all day,” the AFGE Council 100 statement read. “TSA is treating this matter like it is a privilege – it is not; it is basic safety and common decency for the workforce.”
As TSA approaches the 25th anniversary of its founding in November, Cummins has held meetings to “rapidly advance key strategic initiatives” as part of a program dubbed Horizon 25.
“TSA does not have to choose between a secure checkpoint, an efficient checkpoint, and an elevated passenger experience,” he said in a statement announcing the initiative.
The program includes expanding TSA PreCheck, rolling out new technology, privatizing some checkpoints and “improving the passenger experience.” It’s not clear whether requiring officers to stand while checking documents relates to this overhaul.
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