FOR RELEASE: January 15, 2002

EVANS WANTS ASSURANCE OF VETERANS PREFERENCE IN TRANSPORTATION SECURITY SCREENER CORPS HIRING

Washington, DC – Congressman Lane Evans (D-IL) is seeking assurance from the Department of Transportation (DOT) that preference for hiring veterans for security screener positions, as specified in the Transportation Security Act of 2001, will be implemented.  In a January 14^th letter to DOT Secretary Norman Mineta, Evans requested information on agency procedures for hiring federal security screeners and guidelines for assessing veterans who apply.  The new law anticipates hiring a significant number of new Federal employees for this vital duty and specifies that veterans of our armed services shall receive preference for the positions.  

“It makes a lot of sense”, says Evans, “That our veterans should have first consideration for these Federal security positions.  All who have served in the military have had background checks, many have held sensitive security clearances, and almost all have a detailed record of their performance, reliability and training accomplishments.”  He further noted that, “Where the goal is to quickly hire large numbers of qualified people with known, reliable backgrounds, America’s veterans would seem the best place to start.”  

But the new law, specific only to screener positions, does not specify what degree of hiring preference veterans must receive; rather it states that the Under Secretary for the Transportation Security Administration shall provide a preference for veterans.  According to current Federal Civil Service law that affects most other Federal jobs, qualified veterans receive either 5 or 10 points to augment their score on a 100-point scale.  “When the Civil Service requirement for veterans preference is used properly,” says Evans, “it serves as a reasonable advantage for veterans and recognizes their prior service and sacrifice to our country – it makes them whole in the Federal job arena for the time spent in uniformed service.”   

Evans has requested assurance that the DOT security screener hiring process will fully utilize the veteran job pool when gearing-up to sustain its security screener initiative.  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to have a federal aptitude test available to screen for the position in February 2002.  Veterans interested in Security Screener positions should call toll free at 1-866-404-1227 or apply through the FAA web site at: http://jobs.faa.gov/SecurityScreeningPersonnel.htm

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