Airport security: Musk’s chainsaw clashes with union steel

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Transportation Security Administration, announced March 7 that TSA employees no longer had the right to collective bargaining. That move could allow the government to fire the TSA’s 50,000 workers and to privatize the security screenings now done by them. Their union says it won’t submit.

The TSA was set up in 2001 as a response to the security failures exposed by the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers. The law setting up the TSA explicitly allowed it to avoid granting bargaining rights to its employees.

But the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) won limited bargaining rights in 2011. That got the Transportation Security Officers (TSO) pay increases of as much as 30%, plus sick pay and other benefits.

AFGE and the TSA signed a seven-year contract last May, which in the opinion of many TSOs brought significant improvements in working conditions.

According to the March 7 Wall Street Journal, the 903 million airport screenings that were done in 2024 could have been done cheaper.

Strong union response

AFGE National President Everett Kelley accused the department of retaliating against the union for its various legal challenges, saying: “[Nearly] 47,000 Transportation Security Officers show up at over 400 airports across the country every single day to make sure our skies are safe for air travel. [Today Homeland Security Secretary Kristi] Noem and the Trump administration have violated these patriotic Americans’ right to join a union in an unprovoked attack.”

Kelley continued: “They gave as 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.” (govexec.com, March 7)

In Boise, Idaho, AFGE Local 1127, which includes the Boise Airport’s TSA members, issued the following statement: “The removal of our collective bargaining agreement is a direct attack on our freedom of speech and our right to organize. This is a calculated first step by the administration toward dismantling the TSA and reverting to privatized airport security — where the priority is cutting costs, not ensuring safety.

“Our union has fought tirelessly for the rights and protections we have won, and no single signature can erase the power of solidarity. Even more concerning is the manner in which this decision was communicated — TSA officers were informed just 30 minutes after Fox News had already reported on it. How is it that a private news outlet was notified before the agency’s own workforce? That reeks of corruption and a blatant disregard for the people who safeguard our nation’s airports.”

The statement continues:  “Despite this administration’s clear attempts to undermine us, AFGE 1127 will not back down.  We have fought for fair wages, break times, and paid parking — because we know that strong benefits attract skilled professionals, ultimately leading to safer skies. The reckless decision to strip away our rights jeopardizes not only TSA officers but the security of every traveler.

“AFGE 1127 stands firm: we will continue to fight for the rights and dignity of TSA officers in Idaho and beyond. This administration may expect us to surrender, but we refuse to let that happen.” (idahopress.com, March 7)