A coalition of unions has initiated a lawsuit against the US Department of Homeland Security and its leadership to stop the Trump administration from “unlawful and unilateral” termination of a union contract for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers.
AFGE workers announced in a statement that the lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle on March 13, 2025, by three federal worker unions: the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA).
AFGE union members describe the termination of the negotiated union contract as an “illegal action”, arguing that it “violates the constitutional rights of federal employees and undermines collective bargaining protections”.
AFGE National President Everett Kelley stated that canceling a legally negotiated union contract is “unconstitutional” and “retaliatory”.
“These attempts by the administration to silence everyday workers across this country through retaliation and intimidation will not succeed,” Kelley said. “We will fight tirelessly to protect the rights of federal employees and defend our union contracts.”
AFGE workers demand “immediate injunctive relief to stop the administration from rescinding the existing contract, eliminating union representation, and stripping workers of their bargaining rights,” the statement continued.
The seven-year bargaining agreement between TSA and AFGE employees took effect in May 2024, protecting approximately 47,000 TSA officers.
However, on March 7, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) declared that it is terminating the agreement, claiming it would remove “bureaucratic hurdles that will strengthen workforce agility”.
“Transportation Security Officers will no longer lose their hard-earned dollars to a union that does not represent them,” DHS spokesperson said. “The Trump Administration is committed to returning to merit-based hiring and firing policies.”
DHS officials reported that out of 432 federalized airports, 374 airports have fewer than 200 TSA officers available for screening duties. Additionally, DHS claims that nearly 200 TSA officers are paid by the government but work full-time “on union matters.”
“These people do not retain certification to perform screening functions,” the DHS statement read. “In a recent TSA employee survey, over 60% said poor performers are allowed to stay employed and, not surprisingly, continue to not perform.”
