Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined their colleagues to introduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation to ensure that over 65,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees—including frontline Transportation Security Officers (TSOs)—are afforded the same worker rights, protections, and pay system afforded to most other federal workers. The Rights for the TSA Workforce Act comes on the heels of the Trump Administration’s move to cancel TSA workers’ current collective bargaining agreement this month.
“TSA workers work tirelessly to keep us safe when we fly, but right now, the TSA is hellbent on gutting the very few protections this frontline workforce has,” said Merkley. “From rolling back these workers’ collective bargaining agreement to paving the way to automating their jobs through facial recognition technology, the TSA needs to be reined in, and this bipartisan bill is a simple way to support and improve the rights of these critical workers.”
“TSA staff are Americans’ frontline workforce ensuring we are safe in the air and in our airports,” said Wyden. “Protecting the rights of these vital workers is paramount to our nation’s security. The only logical thing for any member of Congress who flies, or has constituents who fly, is to support this legislation that would allow TSA professionals to focus on what really matters: Americans’ personal safety and security when traveling.”
U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representative Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) led the Rights for the TSA Workforce Act, which would provide TSA employees full federal employee collective bargaining rights, access to an independent third party for dispute resolution, and compensation under the General Services wage system. The Rights for the TSA Workforce Act is co-sponsored by 27 U.S. Senators and 61 U.S. Representatives, including both Democrats and Republicans in the House.
“The Transportation Security Administration is in crisis. DHS’s reckless decision to rescind TSA workers’ collective bargaining agreement is blatant union-busting. If allowed to stand, it will silence 47,000 frontline officers who protect millions daily, clearing a path for Project 2025’s dangerous privatization scheme, prioritizing profits over national security and reviving the failed, profit-driven model from before the terrorist attacks of September 11. The Rights for the TSA Workforce Act, introduced by Representative Bennie Thompson and Senator Brian Schatz, is essential to restoring dignity, protecting workers’ rights, and ensuring aviation security isn’t outsourced to the lowest bidder. Congress must pass this bill immediately,” said American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) National President Everett Kelley.
Merkley has been an outspoken and longtime leader in sounding the alarm on TSA’s use of facial recognition technology. He led a bipartisan group of Senators in a letter urging U.S. Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari to launch an investigation into the TSA’s use of facial recognition technology. Previously, he introduced the Traveler Privacy Protection Act to restrict the use of facial recognition technology by the TSA at airports across the United States. Merkley also documented his own experience “opting-out” of this optional program, traveling from D.C. to Portland.
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