WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security said Friday that it is ending the collective bargaining agreement with the Transportation Security Administration’s Transportation Security Officers.
DHS says the move was made to get rid of “bureaucratic hurdles,” claiming that hundreds of officers were paid by the government but worked full-time on union matters.
In a statement, a TSA spokesperson said:
Thanks to Secretary Noem’s action, Transportation Security Officers will no longer lose their hard-earned dollars to a union that does not represent them. The Trump Administration is committed returning to merit-based hiring and firing policies.
This action will ensure Americans will have a more effective and modernized workforces across the nation’s transportation networks. TSA is renewing its commitment to providing a quick and secure travel process for Americans.
Spokesperson for the TSA
The move will take away collective bargaining rights from about 47,000 Transportation Security Officers.
These are the people responsible for staffing the airport and making sure people aren’t bringing weapons or explosives through.
They see about 2.5 million passengers a day across the country.
Collective bargaining agreements typically outline the rights and benefits of employees such as their pay schedule and ability to challenge certain decisions.
The TSA union called it on “unprovoked attack” and vowed to fight it.
The American Federation of Government Employees represents these officers.
In a statement directly responding to the DHS decision their President shared a statement that read in part:
They gave as a justification a completely fabricated claim about union officials – making clear this action has nothing to do with efficiency, safety, or homeland security. This is merely a pretext for attacking the rights of regular working Americans across the country because they happen to belong to a union.
“Our union has been out in front challenging this administration’s unlawful actions targeting federal workers, both in the legal courts and in the court of public opinion. Now our TSA officers are paying the price with this clearly retaliatory action.
AFGE National President Everett Kelley
In guidance sent to the TSA workforce and obtained by The Associated Press, TSA management said that salary and benefits would not be affected but that union dues would no longer be collected through payroll.
The initial agreement was supposed to expire in 2031.
