The Blubber

The Department of Homeland Security announced Friday that it is terminating the collective bargaining agreement covering tens of thousands of frontline employees at the Transportation Security Administration, marking a significant move by the Trump administration to roll back union protections. The TSA union condemned the decision as an “unprovoked attack” and vowed to challenge it.

In its statement announcing the termination, the department criticized the union representing TSA employees, who are responsible for preventing weapons from being brought onto airplanes and ensuring the safety of air travel. The agency argued that underperforming employees were being retained and that the agreement was obstructing efforts “to safeguard our transportation systems and keep Americans safe.” This claim was swiftly rejected by a leading Democrat in Congress and the union.

“This action will ensure that Americans benefit from a more effective and modernized workforce across the nation’s transportation networks,” the agency stated. “TSA is reaffirming its commitment to providing a fast and secure travel experience for the public.”

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The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents TSA workers, had signed the collective bargaining agreement with then-TSA Administrator David Pekoske in May of last year. This agreement came as part of a broader Homeland Security effort to improve pay for frontline employees, whose salaries have historically lagged behind those of other federal workers. Pekoske has credited the 2023 pay raises with boosting employee retention and morale—longstanding challenges for the TSA.

According to the union, the order would strip collective bargaining rights from approximately 47,000 Transportation Security Officers (TSOs), who staff airports nationwide and are responsible for ensuring that hundreds of thousands of passengers each day do not bring weapons or explosives into airport security zones.

The union accused Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and President Donald Trump’s administration of violating workers’ rights to union representation. It further argued that the administration’s stated reasons—particularly its criticisms of union activity—were “completely fabricated.”

Instead, the union claimed the decision was an act of retaliation for its broader efforts to challenge various policies enacted by the Trump administration that have affected federal workers. AFGE, which represents around 800,000 federal employees in Washington, D.C., and across the country, has actively opposed several administration actions, including the dismissal of probationary employees and funding cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).