NTEU is a strong advocate for increased staffing for Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Chronic shortages of CBP Officers, Agriculture Specialists and Trade Enforcement Specialists who work at the nation’s 328 ports of entry hurt the nation’s economy, as well as frontline employees and their families.
This week, lawmakers will be taking a closer look at CBP funding and staffing—and NTEU will be urging Congress to take the necessary steps to fix the staffing shortfalls.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today regarding his department's budget request. Kelly will also testify on the same topic before the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday. National President Tony Reardon submitted testimony to both committees underscoring the need to authorize funding to hire 2,100 additional officers based on CBP’s own staffing models. The union is calling for $350 million above the president’s budget proposal to hire enough CBP Officers, Agriculture Specialists and Trade Enforcement Specialists to move people and goods in and out of the ports.
Staffing shortages create personal hardships for frontline CBP employees forced to take involuntary overtime shifts and temporary duty assignments. They also hurt businesses and consumers subjected to long delays in travel and cargo lanes.
“Understaffed ports lead to long delays in travel and cargo lanes, hurting businesses and consumers,” said Reardon in his testimony. “If Congress fully staffed the ports with the needed 3,500 additional CBP Officers in fiscal 2018, 106,000 private sector jobs could be created. For every 1,000 CBP Officers added, the U.S. can increase its gross domestic product by $2 billion.”
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