Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas has announced new efforts to support the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening officer workforce, including expanding collective bargaining at the national level and ensuring that TSA’s standards and processes adhere to the principles applied by the Merit Systems Protection Board. Secretary Mayorkas also expressed the Department’s commitment to improving pay for the TSA workforce.
“TSA employees are outstanding public servants who work on the frontlines, including throughout the pandemic, to keep the traveling American public safe,” Mayorkas said. “They deserve the empowerment of collective bargaining and a compensation structure that recognizes and rewards them for their contributions to our safety and security.”
Mayorkas ordered these administrative actions to build upon the meaningful improvements made by TSA leadership to support the Transportation Security Officer (TSO) workforce. TSA will expand the collective bargaining rights of TSOs consistent with the policy expressed in President Biden’s Executive Order 14025, Worker Organizing and Empowerment.
The expanded scope of bargaining will be similar to bargaining that occurs at other federal agencies while preserving TSA’s ability to meet its critical security mission. After implementing these changes, TSA will work with the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents TSA’s non-supervisory TSO workforce, to reach a new collective bargaining agreement.
