Overview
- TSA told AFGE it will terminate the contract and prohibit collective bargaining and exclusive representation for screening personnel effective Jan. 11, 2026, according to a memo from acting human capital chief Thomas Regan.
- The move relies on a September determination by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, after a federal judge in June issued a preliminary injunction finding her earlier rollback retaliatory and blocking that initial attempt.
- TSA leaders describe a return to the agency’s original labor framework and argue bargaining has been a distraction, with Noem citing $1.2 million in negotiation-related costs since 2012.
- AFGE, which represents about 47,000 officers, called the decision illegal, pledged to continue its court fight, and noted the seven-year agreement signed last year was supposed to run until 2031.
- TSA says it will replace the contract with a “security-focused framework,” while broader context includes limited bargaining rights granted in 2011 and expanded rights and pay reforms instituted in 2022.