A coalition of labor unions is suing the Trump Administration in a bid to prevent the Department of Homeland Security from terminating collective bargaining for tens of thousands of workers at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
The lawsuit, filed in a Washington State district court earlier this week, comes just days after DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced that she was moving to dismantle collective bargaining for 47,000 TSA officers who secure the nation’s airports.
In a statement, Noem said that dismantling union representation for TSA workers would tear down “bureaucratic hurdles” and “strengthen workforce agility.”
Justifying the decision, Noem hit out at the fact that around 0.42% of the TSA workforce currently work full-time on union business for their members. The DHS claims that ending collective bargaining will improve “merit-based performance recognition and advancement.”
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents TSA workers, has joined forces with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA, to sue the Trump Administration over the “unlawful” decision by Secretary Noem.
The unions will argue in federal court that Noem’s decision violates the AFGE’s First Amendment rights to advocate on behalf of federal workers. The lawsuit also accuses the DHS of violating the Fifth Amendment rights of workers by stripping them of vested property rights without due process.
“This attack on our members is not just an attack on AFGE or transportation security officers. It’s an assault on the rights of every American worker,” commented AFGE National President Everett Kelley after the lawsuit was filed.
“Tearing up a legally negotiated union contract is unconstitutional, retaliatory, and will make the TSA experience worse for American travelers,” Kelley continued.
Sara Nelson, who is often described as the most powerful flight attendant in the United States as the president of the Association of Flight Attendants, fears Noem’s attack on collective bargaining will be bad news for aviation security.
“This Administration does not care about safety, efficiency, or homeland security,” Nelson slammed. “This will take us back to the days of security at the lowest price with the highest costs for our country.”
The lawsuit against the Trump administration is seeking immediate injunctive relief to prevent Noem from ending the 2024 collective bargaining agreement between the TSA and the AFGE.
The AFGE has represented TSA workers since 2013, and advocates for the union argue that collective bargaining has helped improve security by making the TSA a better place to work, which in turn has resulted in lower attrition and more capable candidates applying for the role.
