Unions file to stop the illegal termination of TSA workers collective bargaining agreement
Minneapolis, MN – A coalition of unions filed a lawsuit, March 13, against Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and TSA senior official Adam Stahl for the unlawful and unilateral termination of a negotiated union contract.
That contract protects approximately 47,000 Transportation Security Officers. The plaintiffs include the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), AFGE TSA Local 1121, the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA).
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle, the lawsuit seeks to block this illegal action, which violates the constitutional rights of federal employees and undermines collective bargaining protections. The plaintiffs argue that Secretary Noem’s actions constitute unconstitutional retaliation against AFGE for exercising its First Amendment right to advocate on behalf of federal workers. They also argue that the administration’s actions also violate the Fifth Amendment by stripping TSA workers of vested property rights without due process.
The plaintiffs demand immediate injunctive relief to stop the administration from rescinding the existing contract, eliminating union representation, and stripping workers of their bargaining rights.
“The decision to eliminate collective bargaining rights for TSA is terrible for aviation security and everyone who depends on safe travel,” said Sara Nelson, president of AFA-CWA, representing 55,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines.
“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,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley.