Overview
- TSA confirmed Tuesday that it has ordered chairs removed from travel document checker podiums and that officers must stand while verifying IDs and boarding passes.
- The agency said the change will keep officers more alert and that all staff must meet fitness‑for‑duty standards to perform the role.
- The American Federation of Government Employees Council 100 condemned the move as a safety and ergonomic concern, said local chapters were not formally notified, and urged members to contact Congress.
- Removals have begun at many commercial airports and apply only to the document‑check rotation where officers typically greet travelers before rotating to other duties.
- The shift comes after David Cummins’s confirmation and the launch of Horizon 25, raising questions about bargaining, disability accommodations, workplace ergonomics, and possible legal or congressional challenges.