The TSA says that starting next year, it will officially rescind the collective bargaining agreement it reached with its workforce in 2024.
The agency has announced that a “new labor framework” will instead be put in place as of January 11, 2026.
The TSA says that the elimination of the agreement is based on a determination from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem from September 2025 entitled “Eliminating Collective Bargaining at TSA Due to its Incompatibility with TSA’s National Security Mission and its Adverse Impact on Resources, Flexibility, Mission Focus, Security Effectiveness, and Traveler Experience.”
The text of that determination was not released by the agency.
“Under the leadership of Secretary Noem, we are ridding the agency of wasteful and time-consuming activities that distracted our officers from their crucial work,” said Adam Stahl, senior official performing the duties of TSA deputy administrator.
The TSA also announced that it would stop using its payroll software to automatically collect union dues from employees’ paychecks.
The collective bargaining agreement was formed by the agency and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the union representing TSA workers, in May 2024. The agreement covered 47,000 TSA officers, guaranteeing them benefits like fewer restrictions on sick leave and increased uniform allowances, and was supposed to last for seven years.
“Prior to having a union contract, many employees endured hostile work environments and workers felt like they didn’t have a voice on the job, which led to severe attrition rates and longer wait times for the traveling public,” said AFGE Council 100 President Hydrick Thomas. “Since having a contract, we’ve seen a more stable workforce, and there has never been another aviation-related attack on our country.”
Secretary Noem had previously tried to cancel the agreement in March 2025, but that action was blocked by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, which issued a preliminary injunction on the matter in June.
The AFGE statement went on to call the end of the agreement “a slap in the face” and “an illegal act of retaliatory union-busting that should cause concern for every person who steps foot in an airport.”
The union says that it will continue to challenge the move to end the agreement in court.
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