Federal Daily - February 13, 2008
TSA to Test New Employee Screening Procedures
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced Feb. 11 the launch of seven demonstration
projects that will test new ways to screen airport employees as part of an effort to improve security
at the nation’s airports. The 90-day projects will look at 100 percent employee screening at
three airports and alternative employee screening at four other airports, TSA said in a statement.
By using different security measures in the pilot programs, TSA said, the agency will be able evaluate
the most effective manner of screening airport employees. TSA currently deploys a layered approach
to airport employee security that includes random and roving screening, checkpoint screening for certain
populations and “surge” inspections. “These pilots will give us important information
as we evaluate the best way to secure the operations side of the airport,” said Kip Hawley, TSA
administrator. The $15 million demonstration projects are mandated by the FY 2008 omnibus spending
bill, which also requires TSA to report on the demonstration project results by Sept. 1. The seven
airports are Boston’s Logan International, Denver International, Jacksonville (Fla.) International,
Kansas City (Mo.) International, Eugene (Ore.) Airport, Southwest Oregon Regional (North Bend, Ore.)
and Craven Regional (New Bern, N.C.). To see more, go to: www.tsa.gov/press/releases/2008/0211.shtm.
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AFGE Urges Passage of Bill to Tighten SSA Oversight
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) urged Congress to adopt a House bill that would
make it harder for the Social Security Administration (SSA) to close offices or make changes to the
agency’s comprehensive work force plan. The bill, the Social Security Customer Service Improvement
Act, H.R. 5110, was introduced Jan. 23 by Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., and is under consideration in
the House Committee on Ways and Means. The bill would require that the SSA commissioner submit to Congress
a detailed facilities closing plan before taking action.. The bill also would require SSA to provide
to Congress—as part of the agency’s annual funding request—the number of pending
cases and the average processing time, as well as employment statistics for each hearing and field
office. “Over the past 10 years the Social Security administrative budget has been constricted
by upwards of $1.3 billion,” said AFGE Council 220 President Witold Skwierczynski. “Further
cuts to the SSA budget could prove to be disastrous.” AFGE represents about 25,000 employees
in SSA field offices. To see more, go to: www.afge.org/Index.cfm?Page=PressReleases&PressReleaseID=821.
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Tentative Pact Would Give GAO Analysts 4.5% Raises
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the new union representing GAO analysts have reached
a tentative agreement that will give 4.49 percent raises to all permanent staff who satisfy the “meets
expectations” or better performance level, the agency said in a memo to employees. The memo,
posted Feb. 8 on the new union’s unofficial Web site, says GAO intends to apply this pay agreement
to all non-bargaining unit employees as well, with the exception of the Senior Executive Service. The
2008 pay adjustments will be made effective retroactive to the first full pay period of this year,
the GAO memo said. This agreement is the first negotiated by the fledgling GAO analysts union—the
agency’s first labor organization. The tentative agreement is subject to ratification by bargaining
unit employees, who expect to vote this week. “The agreement reflects a reasonable compromise
consistent with GAO’s market-based pay-for-performance system,” GAO said. To see more,
go to: http://gaounion.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/gao-notice-2008-pay-adjustment-finalized.pdf or
http://www.unionvoice.org/gaoanalysts/notice-description.tcl?newsletter_id=15411762.
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