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Chicago fire puts focus on FAA's reliance on third-party contractors Chicago fire puts focus on FAA's reliance on third-party contractors
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Before he allegedly set fire to a Chicago-area basement facility controlled by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), authorities say Brian Howard passed through a security checkpoint with a concealed gasoline container and had posted a message on Facebook saying goodbye to his family and indicating he intended to inflict harm on himself and others. “I am about to take out [the FAA center] and my life,” he wrote. Before he allegedly set fire to a Chicago-area basement facility controlled by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), authorities say Brian Howard passed through a security checkpoint with a concealed gasoline container and had posted a message on Facebook saying goodbye to his family and indicating he intended to inflict harm on himself and others. “I am about to take out [the FAA centre] and my life,” he wrote.
Luckily, the Friday blaze, which grounded hundreds of planes throughout the weekend and shut down O’Hare international airport, the nation’s busiest, did not result in deaths. Howard, 36, is currently recuperating in a local hospital and is charged with one count of destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities.Luckily, the Friday blaze, which grounded hundreds of planes throughout the weekend and shut down O’Hare international airport, the nation’s busiest, did not result in deaths. Howard, 36, is currently recuperating in a local hospital and is charged with one count of destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities.
The breach that enabled him to carry out his plan speaks to a continuing trend in the aviation industry that most security experts say is ripe for abuse: an over-reliance on third-party contractors whose workers are often paid low wages and are not screened properly, but who have easy access to some of the most vulnerable areas of the nation’s biggest airports.The breach that enabled him to carry out his plan speaks to a continuing trend in the aviation industry that most security experts say is ripe for abuse: an over-reliance on third-party contractors whose workers are often paid low wages and are not screened properly, but who have easy access to some of the most vulnerable areas of the nation’s biggest airports.
“These people are not psychologically invested to the extent that government employees can be if they are managed appropriately. That’s why the security industry is so uneasy about contractors: The psychological investment issue and how poorly these people are screened certainly makes people uncomfortable,” said Richard Bloom, director of terrorism, intelligence, and security studies at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona.“These people are not psychologically invested to the extent that government employees can be if they are managed appropriately. That’s why the security industry is so uneasy about contractors: The psychological investment issue and how poorly these people are screened certainly makes people uncomfortable,” said Richard Bloom, director of terrorism, intelligence, and security studies at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona.
For eight years Howard worked for Harris Corporation in Melbourne, Florida as a field technician, a role that provides “on-site software and hardware support for the FAA’s telecommunication network,” said spokesperson Jim Burke in an email. He would not comment further on the matter. For eight years Howard worked for Harris Corporation in Melbourne, Florida, as a field technician, a role that provides “on-site software and hardware support for the FAA’s telecommunication network,” said spokesperson Jim Burke in an email. He would not comment further on the matter.
Harris provides telecommunications services for many federal agencies, primarily the US Department of Defense. Company data shows it was awarded a $5bn, 20-year contract with the FAA in July 2002 to “integrate, modernize, operate and maintain the communications infrastructure for the US air traffic control system” at more than 4,500 FAA sites nationwide. The core of its work is on the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen, a multi-billion dollar program which is intended to fully transition air traffic control communications from radar-based to satellites. Harris provides telecommunications services for many federal agencies, primarily the US Department of Defence. Company data shows it was awarded a $5bn (£3.1bn), 20-year contract with the FAA in July 2002 to “integrate, modernise, operate and maintain the communications infrastructure for the US air traffic control system” at more than 4,500 FAA sites nationwide. The core of its work is on the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen, a multibillion-dollar programme which is intended to fully transition air traffic control communications from radar-based to satellite-based systems.
While the company employs 14,000 people, it also hires “a number of independent contractors.” While the company employs 14,000 people, it also hires “a number of independent contractors”.
“None of our employees in the US is represented by a labor union … In general, we believe that our relations with our employees are good,” Harris Corporation wrote in its most recent annual report. “None of our employees in the US is represented by a labour union … In general, we believe that our relations with our employees are good,” Harris Corporation wrote in its most recent annual report.
Over the past decade, the aviation industry has leaned more on contract workers because of the cost benefits, and the ability to make layoffs during a sluggish economy. Between 2001 and 2011, full-time jobs at airlines fell by 160,000, or a quarter of its total workforce, according to an October 2013 report by the University of California at Berkley and Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. In the same time frame, 20,000 outsourced jobs were added.Over the past decade, the aviation industry has leaned more on contract workers because of the cost benefits, and the ability to make layoffs during a sluggish economy. Between 2001 and 2011, full-time jobs at airlines fell by 160,000, or a quarter of its total workforce, according to an October 2013 report by the University of California at Berkley and Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. In the same time frame, 20,000 outsourced jobs were added.
Most of these new jobs were old jobs once under the purview of the airlines: baggage handlers, ticketing and gate agents, mechanics, plane fuelers, and cabin cleaning crews. The report says that the total share of outsourced aviation jobs is doubled from 12% in 2002 to 25 %in 2012. Most of these new jobs were old jobs once under the purview of the airlines: baggage handlers, ticketing and gate agents, mechanics, plane fuellers, and cabin-cleaning crews. The report says that the total share of outsourced aviation jobs doubled from 12% in 2002 to 25 % in 2012.
The jobs that require access to the most sensitive areas of an airport are those that have been outsourced the most. For example, outsourced vehicle and equipment cleaning jobs doubled, from 40% to 84 % over the last 10 years; wages for these jobs fell 25%, from $15 an hour to $11.40.The jobs that require access to the most sensitive areas of an airport are those that have been outsourced the most. For example, outsourced vehicle and equipment cleaning jobs doubled, from 40% to 84 % over the last 10 years; wages for these jobs fell 25%, from $15 an hour to $11.40.
Critics such as Bloom say contractors can be less accountable than full-time employees, and that screening is often “perfunctory” at best, only involving criminal background checks.Critics such as Bloom say contractors can be less accountable than full-time employees, and that screening is often “perfunctory” at best, only involving criminal background checks.
“When it comes to in-house sabotage, much more often than not, you’re not going to catch any of that if you only look at bank accounts and arrests,” he says. He advocates for frequent rescreening to detect psychological issue that could be flagged early. “When it comes to in-house sabotage, much more often than not, you’re not going to catch any of that if you only look at bank accounts and arrests,” he says. He advocates frequent rescreening to detect psychological issues that could be flagged early.
“Often people who engage in [sabotage] are fine when they are hired, but over a period of time, they change. There are objectively valid screening procedures that can monitor people on an ongoing basis and if they change for the worse, fire them or talk to them or deter them.”“Often people who engage in [sabotage] are fine when they are hired, but over a period of time, they change. There are objectively valid screening procedures that can monitor people on an ongoing basis and if they change for the worse, fire them or talk to them or deter them.”
Most contract workers struggle with hardships, mainly low wages and safety. Tina Cummins, 59, of Portland, Oregon, has worked for seven years cleaning five plane cabins each night. While she says her hourly wage has increased from $8.50 to $12 an hour, it remains well below the 2002 average of $15.78 an hour for the same job, according to the Berkley-Vancouver report.Most contract workers struggle with hardships, mainly low wages and safety. Tina Cummins, 59, of Portland, Oregon, has worked for seven years cleaning five plane cabins each night. While she says her hourly wage has increased from $8.50 to $12 an hour, it remains well below the 2002 average of $15.78 an hour for the same job, according to the Berkley-Vancouver report.
Cummins is employed by Menzies Aviation, which contracts to Portland international airport. While the 120 contract workers are not in a labor union, the local chapter of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) helped negotiate with the company to raise the hourly wage and get the company to keep the air conditioning on in the cabins during hot summer nights, when Cummins says she witnessed one of her co-workers collapse from heat exhaustion. Cummins is employed by Menzies Aviation, which has contracts with Portland international airport. While the 120 contract workers are not in a labour union, the local chapter of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) helped negotiate with the company to raise the hourly wage and get the company to keep the air conditioning on in the cabins during hot summer nights, when Cummins says she witnessed one of her co-workers collapse from heat exhaustion.
“Our jobs weren’t threatened, but we have a lot of people afraid to lose their jobs,” she said. “We realized the action we did with the air conditioning makes us all stronger. So we are willing to go out there and do what we have to do.” “Our jobs weren’t threatened, but we have a lot of people afraid to lose their jobs,” she said. “We realised the action we did with the air conditioning makes us all stronger. So we are willing to go out there and do what we have to do.”
Her security badge, which is renewed every two years, allows her in to sensitive areas of the airport and she says the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) only conducts a monthly check of her crew’s bags and purses “to make us aware they are there”.Her security badge, which is renewed every two years, allows her in to sensitive areas of the airport and she says the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) only conducts a monthly check of her crew’s bags and purses “to make us aware they are there”.
“You can carry anything in,” she said, which she admits is a risk. “It’s a security area but sometimes you don’t know about people even if they do work at an airport.”“You can carry anything in,” she said, which she admits is a risk. “It’s a security area but sometimes you don’t know about people even if they do work at an airport.”
SEIU vice-president Valarie Long said that outsourced workers are victims of an industry that cut costs in order to survive, and ultimately rebound, from the recession. The study shows that as more airlines and airports replace direct hires with outsourced workers, these worker households fall closer to , or below, the federal poverty line. The SEIU vice-president Valarie Long said that outsourced workers are victims of an industry that cut costs in order to survive, and ultimately rebound, from the recession. The study shows that as more airlines and airports replace direct hires with outsourced workers, these worker households fall closer to, or below, the federal poverty line.
While contract workers are not unionized, they have managed to gain victories. In February thousands of contract workers at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, will see their wages increase from $9 or less to $10.10 per hour. Delta and American Airlines also agreed to raise wages at Kennedy and LaGuardia airports. While contract workers are not unionised, they have managed to gain victories. In February thousands of contract workers at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will see their wages increase from $9 or less to $10.10 per hour. Delta and American Airlines also agreed to raise wages at Kennedy and LaGuardia airports.
Long says that better paid workers benefits everyone and reduces safety risks. Long says that better-paid workers benefits everyone and reduces safety risks.
“It is pretty well documented that workers who are paid well and have a way to bring safety concerns to their employers provide a better job for passengers and their safety,” she said.“It is pretty well documented that workers who are paid well and have a way to bring safety concerns to their employers provide a better job for passengers and their safety,” she said.