The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union) called on March 22 for the immediate payment of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers, citing ongoing long security delays at U.S. airports. The statement was released jointly with the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Association of Professional Flight Attendants, and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 135.
The unions say that paying TSA officers is essential to maintaining airport security and preventing further disruptions for travelers. They argue that while the Department of Homeland Security has continued to pay Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Patrol agents, and active duty members of the U.S. Coast Guard during a partial government shutdown, it has not extended this to TSA workers.
“Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers must be paid now,” the joint statement said. “The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has billions of dollars in discretionary funding that could be used to pay TSOs during this partial shutdown, just like they have chosen to continue paying ICE and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents, as well as active duty members of the U.S. Coast Guard. Instead of paying TSOs, they have chosen to create havoc in our airports.”
The unions also criticized recent proposals to use ICE agents at airports in place of trained TSA officers: “This latest threat of ICE invasion at the airports is another distraction from solutions that protect Americans. TSOs can’t simply be replaced. They undergo a six-month training program in which they learn to screen passengers while evaluating and managing risks within the unique context of an airport—especially how to identify disguised or disassembled weapons and explosives. This is expertise and training that ICE agents simply do not have, and cannot learn quickly.”
They warned that deploying ICE agents could create conflicting priorities at checkpoints: “Furthermore, the introduction of ICE agents into airports creates contradictory missions, as attempts to question passengers about immigration status may distract them from ensuring airport security.”
The unions concluded by urging swift action: “There’s one solution that immediately solves the problem at our airports. Pay the people who are already trained to protect us from terror attacks today, especially as the war with Iran increases the desire to strike against Americans.
Pay TSA Workers now.”
