TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — One month after Tampa International Airport announced it was moving forward with plans to staff its security checkpoints with private workers, the airport said Monday that passenger screening will continue to be performed by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers.
Airport officials completed their review of the public-private partnership program TSA Gold+, which would have allowed TSA to oversee security operations carried out by non-government workers.
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Proponents of the program said using a private workforce would minimize disruptions during government shutdowns or lapses in funding.
The president of the local American Federation of Government Employees union said the change would impact nearly 800 TSA employees at TPA, who would be given the choice to join the private company, be reassigned to another airport, take a job with another federal agency, or to retire if eligible. Joining the private company would mean a pay cut and loss of federal benefits, Chris Finlay told 8 On Your Side last month…