The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union) called on March 22 for immediate payment to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers, as U.S. airports face long security delays. The union joined with the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Association of Professional Flight Attendants, and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 135 in issuing a joint statement addressing the issue.
The unions said that failing to pay TSA officers during a partial government shutdown threatens airport safety and disrupts travel. They pointed out that while Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Patrol agents, and active duty members of the U.S. Coast Guard continue to receive pay from discretionary Department of Homeland Security funds, TSA workers have not been prioritized.
“Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers must be paid now,” the unions said in their statement. “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 statement also criticized proposals to replace TSA officers with ICE agents at airports: “This latest threat of ICE invasion at the airports is another distraction from solutions that protect Americans.” The unions argued that Transportation Security Officers cannot simply be replaced due to their specialized six-month training program focused on identifying threats unique to aviation environments—skills they say ICE agents do not possess.
“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,” according to the union coalition’s statement.
The organizations concluded by urging immediate action: “Pay TSA Workers now.”
