Lawmaker presses TSA to resolve outstanding screener complaints

A House leader praised the Transportation Security Administration Monday for improving its capacity to respond to complaints and allegations of hiring discrimination, but said also that much work remained to be done.

The TSA should move quickly to resolve a number of outstanding complaints from federal airline screeners, according to Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., chairman of the House Government Reform Committee. Davis addressed his concerns to Acting TSA Administrator David Stone in a letter sent Monday.

The agency has come under sharp criticism for alleged discrimination, selective hiring practices, nepotism, management violations and lax oversight. In January, TSA officials acknowledged that the agency was saddled with a massive backlog of complaints.

Davis said his committee has received specific grievances recently from unsuccessful TSA applicants and unhappy incumbent screeners.

"These complaints allege that TSA, in its haste to create a federal workforce, violated well-established labor laws regarding discrimination and prohibited personnel practices," Davis noted. Applicants "claimed they were discriminated against based on race, gender, age and national origin."

Other complaints included false promises of pay or hiring preferences, inept recruitment and testing by TSA human resources contractors and insufficient information on the agency's complaint procedures. Davis said that TSA apparently was plagued with problems handling complaints in the early going, but has since made efforts to fix its system.

"We are encouraged to hear TSA has developed procedures to hear these complaints and has dedicated the resources necessary to ensure that complaints are fairly considered," Davis wrote. "We also understand TSA is taking steps to ensure screeners and screener applicants are aware of the complaint procedures available to them."

The letter also noted that the TSA Office of Civil Rights is reported to have doubled the number of its personnel to deal with a backlog of equal opportunity cases. Davis lauded the agency for hiring the federal screening force in less than a year.

"It is with the same sense of urgency that we ask you to bring closure for the many complainants who believe they were mistreated during the early phases of the federalization of the screener function," Davis said. "We will continue to monitor your progress."