High Test Failure Rates Spark Controversy over PASS Payouts  

AFGE Calls for Immediate Suspension of PSE Tests

Washington, D.C., June 22, 2009 – The unusually high fail rates of the Transportation Security Administration's controversial recertification tests are raising eyebrows and triggering anger and resentment among TSA employees, many of whom believe the agency is intentionally failing workers so that it doesn't have to hand out a large amount of raises and bonuses.

The American Federation of Government Employees is sending a letter to House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson to call for an investigation into whether the Practical Skills Evaluation tests are administered properly, whether the same standards are applied across the country, and whether TSOs and testers are trained properly. The union also sent letters to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and TSA Acting Administrator Gale Rossides, urging TSA to suspend the PSE until the tests have been reviewed. AFGE asked that TSA provide failure rates by airport, that TSA reinstate all TSOs who have been removed because of the failures, and that the failures be cleared from their records so their Performance Accountability and Standards System scores and pay are not affected. 

The high failure rates at airports across the country are surprising to TSA workers. The BWI, Newark, and Miami airports are seeing half of their work forces fail the test this year. The number is higher – 70 percent – at the Cleveland and Indianapolis airports. It is between 80 and 85 percent at the Los Angeles, Washington-Dulles, Raleigh-Durham, and Houston airports. Transportation Security Officers said the PSE tests they were given are highly subjective and don't accurately reflect their performance.

One Houston TSO told AFGE last week that he took his PSE test about two months ago and failed the hand wand and body pat down tests. Even though he was able to find all the alarm items on the tester, he was given a failing grade because the tester said he was too far away and didn't cover well enough. A TSO at BWI took her test last week and failed the body pat down part even though she too found all the alarm items. When asked what she did wrong, the tester, who was from a different airport, couldn't explain. The TSO retook the test with a tester from BWI the following day, did exactly the same thing and passed.

"If I failed because they do things differently at other airports, that's not right. Everybody needs to be doing the same thing," she said, furious that the tester could not tell her why she failed the first time.

Because of the failure, the TSO said she now won't get a Role Model rating, which comes with a 3.5 percent raise and a $2,000 bonus. The most she could get is an Exceeds Standards, which offers half of the Role Model's bonus amount and a 2 percent raise. She also won't get a $250 bonus given to those who get a perfect score on the first try.

But subjectivity is only part of the whole problem. Several airports hire contractors to train, test, and retrain TSOs, potentially creating conflicts of interest and an incentive to fail workers. There also is an issue of inadequate training. Several TSA and congressional reports show TSOs are not given enough training to do their jobs as airports are constantly short-staffed. The workers also feel the pressure to work as fast as they can to keep the lines moving, otherwise they can't take a break or might even get customer complaints.

"TSOs have been put in a no-win situation," said AFGE President John Gage. "They are losing thousands of dollars because TSA has bungled its personnel system and ignored their concerns."

AFGE is conducting a survey on the PSE at www.tsaunion.net, where the union urges TSOs to share their experiences. It is important that TSOs take part in the survey and urge their co-workers to participate as the data will be shared with Secretary Napolitano, so that we can address the issue. The following chart shows the data we have by airport so far: