Unions sue DHS to stop termination of TSA contract

Lawsuit alleges move to strip workers of contract and union representation is unlawful retaliation and a violation of constitutional rights

SEATTLE, WA (March 14, 2025) — A coalition of unions filed a lawsuit Thursday against Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and TSA Senior Official Adam Stahl for the unlawful and unilateral termination of a negotiated union contract, which protects approximately 47,000 Transportation Security Officers.

The plaintiffs include the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), AFGE TSA Local 1121, which represents workers in Washington and Alaska, the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA).

“This attack on our members is not just an attack on AFGE or transportation security officers. It’s an assault on the rights of every American worker,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley in a statement. “Tearing up a legally negotiated union contract is unconstitutional, retaliatory, and will make the TSA experience worse for American travelers. These attempts by the administration to silence everyday workers across this country through retaliation and intimidation will not succeed.”

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, the lawsuit seeks to block this illegal contract termination, which the unions believe violates the constitutional rights of federal employees and undermines collective bargaining protections. The plaintiffs argue that Secretary Noem’s actions constitute unconstitutional retaliation against AFGE for exercising its First Amendment right to advocate on behalf of federal workers and that the administration’s actions also violate the Fifth Amendment by stripping TSA workers of vested property rights without due process.

“Every worker and everyone who passes through an airport should be alarmed that Secretary Noem is illegally retaliating against TSA workers by refusing to honor their union contract”, said CWA President Claude Cummings, Jr. in a press release. “No employer should be able to arbitrarily terminate a union contract.”

The plaintiffs are demanding immediate injunctive relief to stop the administration from rescinding the existing contract, eliminating union representation, and stripping workers of their bargaining rights.

“The decision to eliminate collective bargaining rights for TSA is terrible for aviation security and everyone who depends on safe travel,” stated Sara Nelson, president of AFA-CWA, the union representing 55,000 Flight Attendants at 20 airlines. “This Administration does not care about safety, efficiency, or homeland security. This will take us back to the days of security at the lowest price with the highest costs for our country. Since 9/11 we have committed to ‘Never Forget’ and this Administration must understand just how seriously we mean it.”