MAYOR HAHN ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF PASSENGER SECURITY SCREENER WORKFORCE FEDERALIZATION AT LAX
(Los Angeles, California -- November 5, 2002) Los Angeles Mayor Jim Hahn announced that the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has completed its transition of the nation's largest passenger security screener workforce two weeks ahead of schedule at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The scheduled federal deadline was Nov. 19, 2002.
The transition at LAX was completed at 12:01 a.m. local time today when federal workers were deployed to Terminal 1 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal. The effort at LAX was phased in at the airport's nine terminals, beginning Oct. 8. More than 1,600 federal passenger screeners and 250 checked-baggage screeners now work at LAX - with the TSA expecting to hire an additional 1,350 baggage screeners during the next 45 days to meet another federal deadline on Dec. 31, 2002, for 100 percent screening of all checked baggage.
"LAX is the busiest origination-and-destination airport in the world. The TSA has addressed the enormous challenges associated with recruiting, testing, hiring, training and deploying the largest federal security screening workforce among all U.S. airports. I congratulate Federal Security Director David Stone for assembling a first-rate team under very tight time constraints and accomplishing this goal two weeks ahead of the federal deadline. I also commend the spirit of full cooperation demonstrated by the Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) staff, the air carriers at LAX and the TSA that was vital to achieving this major milestone."
Acting Under Secretary of Transportation for Security Admiral James M. Loy stated, "I am proud of the efforts that Los Angeles International Airport's staff has taken to assist TSA in meeting our mandates."
The Nov. 19 deadline is one of a series of new security measures encompassed in the Aviation & Transportation Security Act enacted by Congress Nov. 19, 2001, following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
As chairman of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Task Force on Aviation Security, Mayor Hahn led the task force's successful efforts to have the national organization of city leaders fully support and endorse the new law.
"Angelenos have overwhelmingly expressed their support of the need for improved aviation security balanced by passenger convenience. Our goal is to ensure that air travelers not only feel secure, but that they are indeed safe when traveling in or out of LAX."
"TSA continues its efforts to work with the airport and the community to ensure the security of the American traveling public," said Admiral David M. Stone, federal security director for Los Angeles International Airport. "Our highly trained and highly motivated federal screeners will provide the world-class customer service and world-class security that the American people deserve."
As part of its commitment to building a diverse workforce that reflects the face of America, TSA's numbers at LAX show 76 percent are minorities. This is higher than TSA's national average of 41 percent minorities. This reflects TSA's efforts to outreach to grassroots organizations representing the variety of minority, faith-based and ethnic groups in Southern California.
On a related matter, over 230 federal security screeners at Ontario International Airport, another Los Angeles-owned facility, were deployed to that airport's two terminals on Oct. 8 and completed the transition that day.
The TSA-contracted screeners are eligible to test for their former jobs. Successful candidates are guaranteed a federal screener position. To-date, 25 percent of LAX former contracted screeners have passed the assessment and been offered positions. This is higher than TSA's national average. According to airport officials, this reflects LAWA's efforts to assist the contracted screeners with the application and assessment process, including English-language comprehension assessments and English-language classes; workshops on test-taking, interview skills, safe-lifting techniques and credit issues; mobile computer lab to provide screeners exposure to a computerized testing environment; and briefings on the U.S. citizenship application process.
For private screeners who do not pass the TSA assessment or who are currently not eligible to apply for TSA positions (primarily due to non-U.S. citizenship), LAWA is coordinating a "rapid response" program among local, state and federal employment agencies encompassing job-search assistance, a job-lead notification system, job opportunity resource information, and referrals to local-area career centers that have specialized programs and resources for dislocated workers.
