The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced on Friday that it is moving to rescind the 2024 collective bargaining agreement that covers Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) for the second time in less than 12 months.
In a released statement, TSA said that a new labor initiative would go into effect on January 11, 2026 and will return the agency to a “security-focused framework” that puts workforce readiness at the head of its mission.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the union which represents 47,000 TSOs at airports across the country, panned the decision and promised to challenge its legality in court.
“Secretary Noem’s decision to rip up the union contract for 47,000 TSA officers is an illegal act of retaliatory union-busting that should cause concern for every person who steps foot in an airport,” said AFGE President Everett Kelley. “AFGE will continue to challenge these illegal attacks on our members’ right to belong to a union, and we urge the Senate to pass the Protect America’s Workforce Act immediately.”
The decision to nix the agreement was based on a determination by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in September that said employees conducting security screenings are performing acts in the interest of national security and should not be engaged in collective bargaining, the administration said.
“Our Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) need to be focused on their mission of keeping travelers safe, not wasting countless hours on non-mission critical work,” said Adam Stahl, senior TSA official. “Under the leadership of Secretary Noem, we are ridding the agency of wasteful and time-consuming activities that distracted our officers from their crucial work.”
This marks the second time this year that DHS and TSA have made efforts to forgo the Biden-era contract. In March, the agencies first announced they were voiding the contract, a move that sparked an initial lawsuit from AFGE and subsequent injunction in federal court prohibiting the cancellation from taking effect.
TSA also said it will no longer use traditional payroll methods for collecting union fees from TSO’s paychecks.
With the exception of maybe Grover Cleveland, President Trump is the most pro labor, pro union president in history. TSA agents don’t realize how good they have it working under the leadership of Trump and DHS Secretary Noem.
You are out of your mind. Don’t buy the BS. Since when is unionbusting pro labor? Do you even know why we have unions?
having a good doesn’t apply. They have had it good before mango Mussolini interfered, and this is just one more destructive action that tears down the working man.
Sounds like the ranting of a union member.
I’ll compare today’s unions to Moses leading the children of Isareal out of Egypt. Moses told them to, ‘grab your picks and shovels, pack your camel, mount up your ass, we’re going to the promised land’. Today’s union leaders say, ‘throw down your picks and shovels, light up a Camel, sit on your ass, this IS the promised land’
I agree with this as long as the “national security “ designation doesn’t lead to issuing firearms to TSA personnel. TSA is not law enforcement, they are security guards for airliners, nothing more!
TSA was always supposed to be an oversight organization, not an employment firm. Some of the busiest airports in the USA have a Federal contractor conducting the duties required by TSA such as security screening of passengers and baggage (MCO and SFO come to mind). This year my CBA was terminated by the President and I am not “up in arms” as Federal employee unions are weak and powerless. I was a Federal union steward for almost ten years and I can attest to that. Although I cannot support the notion that “union official time” was wasted compensation from taxpayers as every minute of official time I spent was participating in official union business related to management violating the CBA. I am a black and white person and never went out of my way to protect a lazy bum. But again, we are (were) unable to strike (think PATCO). Federal managers are themselves lazy and play the corrupt “friends and family plan” game just like the private industry does. The big difference is that the Federal government is supposed to set an example of integrity and fairness. My current leadership promises that everything will be fine and I have no choice but to continue to work at the DC plantation for a few more years until I’m rewarded with a pauper’s pension and ridiculously expensive healthcare insurance premiums that would make even a small business owner look twice at the numbers. I have worked for Uncle Sugar for most of my adult life and I’m flabbergasted at how much waste, fraud, and abuse plagues the Federal bureaus. I have worked for several and I can tell you it has been an interesting ride.