“Noem’s decision to rip up the union contract for 47,000 TSA officers is an illegal act of retaliatory union busting that should cause concern for every person who steps foot in an airport,” said the AFGE president.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on November 13, 2025.
(Photo by Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Jessica Corbett
Dec 13, 2025
COMMON DREAMS
On the heels of a major win for federal workers in the US House of Representatives, the Transportation Security Administration on Friday revived Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s effort to tear up TSA employees’ collective bargaining agreement.
House Democrats and 20 Republicans voted Thursday to restore the rights of 1 million federal workers, which President Donald Trump had moved to terminate by claiming their work is primarily focused on national security, so they shouldn’t have union representation. Noem made a similar argument about collective bargaining with the TSA workforce.
\A federal judge blocked Noem’s first effort in June, in response to a lawsuit from the American Federation of Government Employees, but TSA moved to kill the 2024 agreement again on Friday, citing a September memo from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chief. AFGE pledged to fight the latest attack on the 47,000 transportation security officers it represents.
“Secretary Noem’s decision to revoke our union contract is a slap in the face to the dedicated workforce that shows up each and every day for the flying public,” declared AFGE Council 100 president Hydrick Thomas. “TSA officers take pride in the work we perform on behalf of the American people—many of us joined the agency following the September 11 attacks because we wanted to serve our country and make sure that the skies are safe for air travel.”
“Prior to having a union contract, many employees endured hostile work environments, and workers felt like they didn’t have a voice on the job, which led to severe attrition rates and longer wait times for the traveling public. Since having a contract, we’ve seen a more stable workforce, and there has never been another aviation-related attack on our country,” he noted. “AFGE TSA Council 100 is going to keep fighting for our union rights so we can continue providing the very best services to the American people.”
As the Associated Press reported:
The agency said it plans to rescind the current seven-year contract in January and replace it with a new “security-focused framework.” The agreement... was supposed to expire in 2031.
Adam Stahl, acting TSA deputy administrator, said in a statement that airport screeners “need to be focused on their mission of keeping travelers safe.”
“Under the leadership of Secretary Noem, we are ridding the agency of wasteful and time-consuming activities that distracted our officers from their crucial work,” Stahl said.
AFGE national president Everett Kelley highlighted Friday that “merely 30 days ago, Secretary Noem celebrated TSA officers for their dedication during the longest government shutdown in history. Today, she’s announcing a lump of coal right on time for the holidays: that she’s stripping those same dedicated officers of their union rights.”
“Secretary Noem’s decision to rip up the union contract for 47,000 TSA officers is an illegal act of retaliatory union busting that should cause concern for every person who steps foot in an airport,” he added. “AFGE will continue to challenge these illegal attacks on our members’ right to belong to a union, and we urge the Senate to pass the Protect America’s Workforce Act immediately.”
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) president Liz Shuler similarly slammed the new DHS move as “an outrageous attack on workers’ rights that puts all of us at risk” and accused the department of trying to union bust again “in explicit retaliation for members standing up for their rights.”
“It’s no coincidence that this escalation, pulled from the pages of Project 2025, is coming just one day after a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives voted to overturn Trump’s executive order ripping away union rights from federal workers,” she also said, calling on senators to pass the bill “to ensure that every federal worker, including TSA officers, are able to have a voice on the job.”
The DHS union busting came after not only the House vote but also a lawsuit filed Thursday by Benjamin Rodgers, a TSA officer at Denver International Airport, over the federal government withholding pay during the 43-day shutdown, during which he and his co-workers across the country were expected to keep reporting for duty.
“Some of them actually had to quit and find a separate job so they could hold up their household with kids and stuff,” Rodgers told HuffPost. “I want to help out other people as much as I can, to get their fair wages they deserve.”
House Passes Bill to Undo Trump Order to End Federal Workers’ Bargaining Rights
The bill passed with 20 Republicans joining all Democrats to vote “yes,” in a rare rebuke to Trump.
By Sharon Zhang ,
The bill passed with 20 Republicans joining all Democrats to vote “yes,” in a rare rebuke to Trump.
By Sharon Zhang ,
December 12, 2025
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) speaks alongside Rep. Don Beyer (D-Virginia) at a press conference on federal workforce rights outside the U.S. Capitol on March 28, 2025 in Washington, D.C.Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images
The House has voted on a bipartisan basis to restore labor rights to 1 million federal workers after President Donald Trump yanked them away in an executive order earlier this year, in a rare show of defiance against the president by over a dozen GOP members.
In a 231 to 195 vote on Thursday afternoon, the House passed the Protect America’s Workforce Act, which would nullify Trump’s orders in March and August to exempt workers at dozens of agencies from collective bargaining rights.
The bill passed with 20 Republicans joining all Democrats in voting “yes.” The bill simply nullifies the order and says that collective bargaining agreements — known otherwise as union contracts — in effect before the order will be restored.
The legislation was forced onto the floor after a discharge petition surpassed the requisite 218 signatures in November. The bill now goes to the Senate, where it may face more difficult odds of passing the chamber’s 60-vote threshold. A companion bill introduced in the Senate has 48 cosponsors, only one of them Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.
Trump’s orders have been slammed by labor advocates as the largest single act of union busting in U.S. history. They were especially disastrous for the labor movement since public sector workers are unionized at a far higher rate than those in the private sector.
The affected unions had sued the Trump administration following the March order, but a federal appeals court had allowed it to stand, paving the way for Trump to issue his follow-up order in August to strip yet more workers of union rights.
Advocates had already decried restrictions on federal workers’ labor rights that were in place before Trump’s orders; those restrictions limit workers to bargaining solely on labor conditions, and not factors like wages or benefits.
Labor advocates celebrated the House vote.
“President Trump betrayed workers when he tried to rip away our collective bargaining rights. In these increasingly polarized times, working people delivered a rare bipartisan majority to stop the administration’s unprecedented attacks on our freedoms,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler in a statement.
“Americans trust unions more than either political party. As we turn to the Senate — where the bill already has bipartisan support — working people are calling on the politicians we elected to stand with us, even if it means standing up to the union-busting boss in the White House,” Shuler said.
Indeed, approval of labor unions has reached highs, hovering around 70 percent in recent years as the labor movement and unionization surged.
The House has voted on a bipartisan basis to restore labor rights to 1 million federal workers after President Donald Trump yanked them away in an executive order earlier this year, in a rare show of defiance against the president by over a dozen GOP members.
In a 231 to 195 vote on Thursday afternoon, the House passed the Protect America’s Workforce Act, which would nullify Trump’s orders in March and August to exempt workers at dozens of agencies from collective bargaining rights.
The bill passed with 20 Republicans joining all Democrats in voting “yes.” The bill simply nullifies the order and says that collective bargaining agreements — known otherwise as union contracts — in effect before the order will be restored.
The legislation was forced onto the floor after a discharge petition surpassed the requisite 218 signatures in November. The bill now goes to the Senate, where it may face more difficult odds of passing the chamber’s 60-vote threshold. A companion bill introduced in the Senate has 48 cosponsors, only one of them Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.
Trump’s orders have been slammed by labor advocates as the largest single act of union busting in U.S. history. They were especially disastrous for the labor movement since public sector workers are unionized at a far higher rate than those in the private sector.
The affected unions had sued the Trump administration following the March order, but a federal appeals court had allowed it to stand, paving the way for Trump to issue his follow-up order in August to strip yet more workers of union rights.
Advocates had already decried restrictions on federal workers’ labor rights that were in place before Trump’s orders; those restrictions limit workers to bargaining solely on labor conditions, and not factors like wages or benefits.
Labor advocates celebrated the House vote.
“President Trump betrayed workers when he tried to rip away our collective bargaining rights. In these increasingly polarized times, working people delivered a rare bipartisan majority to stop the administration’s unprecedented attacks on our freedoms,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler in a statement.
“Americans trust unions more than either political party. As we turn to the Senate — where the bill already has bipartisan support — working people are calling on the politicians we elected to stand with us, even if it means standing up to the union-busting boss in the White House,” Shuler said.
Indeed, approval of labor unions has reached highs, hovering around 70 percent in recent years as the labor movement and unionization surged.
Labor Leaders Cheer House Vote to Undo ‘Single-Largest Act of Union Busting in American History’
“President Trump betrayed workers,” said the head of the AFL-CIO. “Working people delivered a rare bipartisan majority to stop the administration’s unprecedented attacks on our freedoms.”
Members of the American Federation of Government Employees protest against firings during a rally in Washington, DC on February 11, 2025.
(Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Jessica Corbett
Dec 11, 2025
COMMON DREAMS
US labor leaders on Thursday celebrated the House of Representatives’ bipartisan vote in favor of a bill that would reverse President Donald Trump’s attack on the collective bargaining rights of 1 million federal workers.
Trump’s sweeping assault on federal workers has included March and August executive orders targeting their rights under the guise of protecting national security. In response, Congressmen Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) spearheaded the fight for the Protect America’s Workforce Act. They recently collected enough signatures to force the 231-195 vote, in which 20 Republicans joined all Democrats present to send the bill to the Senate.
Labor Movement Cheers as House Members Force Vote to Restore Federal Workers’ Union Rights
“The right to be heard in one’s workplace may appear basic, but it carries great weight—it ensures that the people who serve our nation have a seat at the table when decisions shape their work and their mission,” Fitzpatrick said after the vote.
“This bill moves us closer to restoring that fundamental protection for nearly 1 million federal employees, many of them veterans,” he added. “I will always fight for our workers, and I call on the Senate to help ensure these protections are fully reinstated.”
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) president Liz Shuler joined union leaders in applauding the lower chamber on Thursday and calling on the Senate to follow suit. She said in a statement that “President Trump betrayed workers when he tried to rip away our collective bargaining rights. In these increasingly polarized times, working people delivered a rare bipartisan majority to stop the administration’s unprecedented attacks on our freedoms.”
“We commend the Republicans and Democrats who stood with workers and voted to reverse the single-largest act of union busting in American history,” she continued. “Americans trust unions more than either political party. As we turn to the Senate—where the bill already has bipartisan support—working people are calling on the politicians we elected to stand with us, even if it means standing up to the union-busting boss in the White House.”
Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal workers union, similarly praised the members of Congress who “demonstrated their support for the nonpartisan civil service, for the dedicated employees who serve our country with honor and distinction, and for the critical role that collective bargaining has in fostering a safe, protective, and collaborative workplace.”
“This vote marks an historic achievement for the House’s bipartisan pro-labor majority, courageously led by Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania,” he said. “We need to build on this seismic victory in the House and get immediate action in the Senate—and also ensure that any future budget bills similarly protect collective bargaining rights for the largely unseen civil servants who keep our government running.”
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees president Lee Saunders also applauded the House’s passage of “a bill that strengthens federal workers’ freedoms on the job so they can continue to keep our nation safe, healthy, and strong.”
“This bill not only provides workers’ critical protections from an administration that has spent the past year relentlessly attacking them,” he noted, “but it also ensures that our communities are served by the most qualified public service workers—not just those with the best political connections.”
Randy Erwin, the head of the National Federation of Federal Employees, declared that “this is an incredible testament to the strength of federal employees and the longstanding support for their fundamental right to organize and join a union.”
“The president cannot unilaterally strip working people of their constitutional freedom of association. In bipartisan fashion, Congress has asserted their authority to hold the president accountable for the biggest attack on workers that this country has ever seen,” he added, thanking the House supporters and pledging to work with “senators from both parties to ensure this bill is signed into law.”
“President Trump betrayed workers,” said the head of the AFL-CIO. “Working people delivered a rare bipartisan majority to stop the administration’s unprecedented attacks on our freedoms.”
Members of the American Federation of Government Employees protest against firings during a rally in Washington, DC on February 11, 2025.
(Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Jessica Corbett
Dec 11, 2025
COMMON DREAMS
US labor leaders on Thursday celebrated the House of Representatives’ bipartisan vote in favor of a bill that would reverse President Donald Trump’s attack on the collective bargaining rights of 1 million federal workers.
Trump’s sweeping assault on federal workers has included March and August executive orders targeting their rights under the guise of protecting national security. In response, Congressmen Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) spearheaded the fight for the Protect America’s Workforce Act. They recently collected enough signatures to force the 231-195 vote, in which 20 Republicans joined all Democrats present to send the bill to the Senate.
Labor Movement Cheers as House Members Force Vote to Restore Federal Workers’ Union Rights
“The right to be heard in one’s workplace may appear basic, but it carries great weight—it ensures that the people who serve our nation have a seat at the table when decisions shape their work and their mission,” Fitzpatrick said after the vote.
“This bill moves us closer to restoring that fundamental protection for nearly 1 million federal employees, many of them veterans,” he added. “I will always fight for our workers, and I call on the Senate to help ensure these protections are fully reinstated.”
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) president Liz Shuler joined union leaders in applauding the lower chamber on Thursday and calling on the Senate to follow suit. She said in a statement that “President Trump betrayed workers when he tried to rip away our collective bargaining rights. In these increasingly polarized times, working people delivered a rare bipartisan majority to stop the administration’s unprecedented attacks on our freedoms.”
“We commend the Republicans and Democrats who stood with workers and voted to reverse the single-largest act of union busting in American history,” she continued. “Americans trust unions more than either political party. As we turn to the Senate—where the bill already has bipartisan support—working people are calling on the politicians we elected to stand with us, even if it means standing up to the union-busting boss in the White House.”
Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal workers union, similarly praised the members of Congress who “demonstrated their support for the nonpartisan civil service, for the dedicated employees who serve our country with honor and distinction, and for the critical role that collective bargaining has in fostering a safe, protective, and collaborative workplace.”
“This vote marks an historic achievement for the House’s bipartisan pro-labor majority, courageously led by Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania,” he said. “We need to build on this seismic victory in the House and get immediate action in the Senate—and also ensure that any future budget bills similarly protect collective bargaining rights for the largely unseen civil servants who keep our government running.”
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees president Lee Saunders also applauded the House’s passage of “a bill that strengthens federal workers’ freedoms on the job so they can continue to keep our nation safe, healthy, and strong.”
“This bill not only provides workers’ critical protections from an administration that has spent the past year relentlessly attacking them,” he noted, “but it also ensures that our communities are served by the most qualified public service workers—not just those with the best political connections.”
Randy Erwin, the head of the National Federation of Federal Employees, declared that “this is an incredible testament to the strength of federal employees and the longstanding support for their fundamental right to organize and join a union.”
“The president cannot unilaterally strip working people of their constitutional freedom of association. In bipartisan fashion, Congress has asserted their authority to hold the president accountable for the biggest attack on workers that this country has ever seen,” he added, thanking the House supporters and pledging to work with “senators from both parties to ensure this bill is signed into law.”
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