The now vs. then is a stark contrast when you compare the last two years at TSA.
Looking back at the agency’s most significant changes since 2021 when the sixth iteration of TSA’s National Advisory Council (NAC VI) took office, pay, technology, expanded new TSA officer training and professional career opportunities are among the advancements that come to mind.
The NAC is a 20-member advisory group, made up of employees from the field, for TSA Administrator David Pekoske and the senior leadership team. NAC members offered their thoughts on the growth at TSA over the past two years.
New TSA pay plan takes effect
This week marked the first pay day under TSA’s new pay system. The majority of TSA employees received pay increases to bring the agency in line with the rest of the federal government. For TSA officers, the new pay system results in an average pay increase of 26% with some officers receiving pay increases up to 40%.
The fiscal year 2023 budget approved by Congress and signed by President Biden ensured TSA employees are paid at the same levels as their federal counterparts. On July 2, the agency officially transitioned to TSA’s Transportation Security Compensation Plan, or TSA’s pay plan.
TSA’s new pay plan covers all TSA employees from uniformed officers, vetting and intelligence analysts, inspectors, Federal Air Marshals and canine handlers to management and administrative professionals.
“(The new pay system) is a huge uplift for everybody in the field,” said Tanya Glodrey, a TSA manager at North Dakota’s Minot International Airport. “It’s been talked about for so long. Everybody had the mindset of ‘Is it going to happen?’ And it finally has.”
Glodrey said TSA’s pay plan is having a significant impact on agency retention rates at her airport with fewer officers leaving the agency for other jobs.
“We’re seeing attrition rates in the single digits right now, and that’s nothing we have ever seen since my 2002 rollout time within TSA,” she said. “With this pay strategy and approval, instead of thinking about retiring, people are staying put.”
Mark Deras is a TSA officer at Guam International Airport where TSA employees are also excited about the significant pay raise.
“It’s something they’ve been looking forward to since they joined TSA,” Deras said. “Getting that pay equivalent to the GS (General Schedule) scale is a big thing for them. It will help financially.”
Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) Supervisory TSA Officer Guadalupe Castillo said the new pay system has changed employees’ energy and the culture for the better.
“Being able to see what the Administrator and everyone on his team have done for us to make sure people get what they deserve is long overdue, and everybody on the floor is more enthused,” Castillo noted.
Technology
TSA has also put a significant emphasis on enhancing technology, installing credential authentication technology units and adding computed tomography (CT) X-ray scanners to screening operations at our nation’s airports. The agency also updated software to on-person screening technology to enhance security, reduce physical contact and lessen the need for pat-downs.
“For our operations, it’s a big impact,” said Deras. “Our airport (in Guam) is usually one of the last ones to get new machines, but with the new program, we’re one of the airports that got the new analogic CT machines. It makes screening a little bit faster.”
Castillo has worked TSA’s innovation checkpoint in Las Vegas, which features the latest upgrades in security technology and said it’s also enhanced the customer experience.
“(Passengers) like the new technology, being able to leave things inside their bags and the way (screening) can move faster,” Castillo emphasized. “Officers like the technology, being able to have more tools to maneuver a 3D image, slice the image and not have so many bag checks.
Expanded new TSA officer training
During NAC VI’s two-year term, TSA expanded the new officer training from two to three weeks, providing additional instruction on X-ray, TSA culture and enhancing the passenger experience.
In June, the agency officially opened TSA Academy West in Las Vegas, and the NAC had a big hand in the change, providing direct input to senior leadership. The agency also has an officer training facility in Glynco, Georgia.
“We were able to talk through what the third week of (training) would look like,” Glodrey said. “It’s a vital piece for us to start with the customer service side of things and get the officers on board to understand it is a customer service strategy on top of all the requirements they need to know coming into the agency.”
Castillo said it’s also about TSA’s mission, vision and culture.
“It’s very important for those who are coming in to really stand for the mission,” said Castillo. “A lot of our new hires weren’t born before 9/11, so teaching that part of history, even though we’re still a young agency, is important.”
Professional career opportunities at TSA
One of TSA’s top three strategic priorities is “commit to our people,” and Glodrey, Castillo and Deras all believe the agency has succeeded in its effort to improve professional career opportunities for all employees.
“The opportunities are endless,” Castillo said. “It’s not just in an airport environment; it can be at headquarters. TSA is not just screening. There are people on the back end who support everything we do in the airport systems.”
“The mentorship available and how they’re assisting with tips and tricks for resume building and the job interview process is a good thing,” added Deras.
“The sky’s the limit,” exclaimed Glodrey. “You have to put yourself out there. You have to make a difference. You need to network with anyone and everyone and just know the ball is in your court. Whatever you want to make out of it, it will happen.”
By Don Wagner, TSA Strategic Communications & Public Affairs