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Los Angeles— The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) is committed to continuing its efforts to rescind a plan that double fees for employee parking at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Higher parking costs particularly impact Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers, who, as a group are among the lowest-paid employees in the federal government.

“Entry-level salaries for TSA employees start at $25,000 per year,” NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley said. “Higher parking costs will only increase the financial burden on an already cash-strapped workforce.” According to the Congressional Budget Office, TSA employees are paid roughly $1,700 per year less than their counterparts in many other federal agencies.

On Feb. 1, employee parking rates are set to jump from $15 to $30 per month. Since December, NTEU has mounted an active campaign against the planned increase including: meeting with the Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA) authority’s top parking official; building a coalition of airport employee groups impacted by the fees; circulating a petition among airport workers protesting the increase; and sending a letter to the LAX Board of Commissioners requesting that the rate hike be rolled back. NTEU plans to present its views Monday at LAWA’s public meeting. LAWA initially proposed to raise rates at a second employee lot from $30 to $124 but after protests from NTEU did not go forward with that plan and will close that lot.

“We have heard from literally hundreds of airport workers who are dissatisfied with the proposed parking rate increase,” President Kelley said. “LAWA officials should listen to the concerns of frontline employees and rethink their decision.”

Aside from unfair parking costs, other critical issues impacting TSA employees at LAX include unfair treatment in the workplace on key issues such as leave usage and scheduling; attrition rates that are too high, a pay system that is not seen as fair and credible, and low workforce morale.

NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments. NTEU TSA members at LAX are part of a growing NTEU network of thousands of members at more than 40 airports across the country.