AFGE Protests Forced AWOL on Dallas/Fort Worth TSO

TSA's health and safety standards under scrutiny

Washington, D.C., April 24, 2009 – The American Federation of Government Employees is protesting a forced Absence without Leave on a Dallas/Fort Worth Transportation Security Officer who was injured on the job and was denied proper accommodation.

The TSO had an eye injury last September when a passenger grabbed and shone in the TSO's eyes a UV flashlight used to check authentication markings in IDs. Instead of assisting him after his injury, the TSO's supervisor wrote him up for failing to maintain control of the light. AFGE filed grievances on his behalf, only to be ignored by TSA. The issue could not be taken beyond the airport level because TSA is not required to follow other federal laws in which cases could be taken to third-party arbitration or the Merit Systems Protection Board.

AFGE reported the incident to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which visited the airport and found that the light can cause eye injuries even after a very short exposure. OSHA suggested TSA monitor employee exposure and provide those injured with light-filtering glasses or goggles. TSA, however, ignored OSHA's recommendations. Adding insult to injury – literally, the TSO's supervisor told him he could get safety goggles as long as he paid for them himself. Meanwhile, a few other TSOs reported eye injuries from the UV light.

The TSO repeatedly asked to be moved to another checkpoint, such as passenger checkpoint, where he's not exposed to the UV light, but his requests were denied. His supervisor recently told him he would be assigned light duty and could be terminated if his doctor doesn't sign him off to return to the ticket and ID checkpoint after 45 days. The TSO refused to accept the light duty, saying TSA is just trying to get rid of him if his condition doesn't improve in 45 days.

Now he's charged with AWOL every day for refusing to accept the light duty assignment. AFGE is taking the case to the Disciplinary Review Board and will raise the issue of UV light safety with the TSA administrator.  

"This kind of management misconduct and abuse of power takes place everyday at TSA," said AFGE President John Gage. "Is this how we treat workers whose job is to protect the country?"

Health and safety issue has been a problem at TSA for years. The situation is getting worse as TSA often refuses to assist or even provide employees with a Workers' Compensation form when they are injured on the job.

AFGE isn't standing by idly and is leading the fight to win workplace protections for TSOs. A bill, H.R. 1881, was introduced in the House earlier this month to bring TSA employees under Title 5 civil service rules, which govern most federal employees. TSA's controversial pay system, known as PASS, also would be scrapped and TSA employees would be moved to the General Schedule pay system, which covers most federal employees, including those at Homeland Security.

If you have similar problems at your airport, call AFGE's TSA Hotline at 1-866-392-6832.