DHS Tries to Kill TSA Union Contract — Again

On December 12, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem terminated the collective bargaining agreement covering 47,000 Transportation Security Administration officers — her second attempt to destroy the TSA union contract after a federal judge blocked the first one.

According to Reuters, DHS announced a “new labor framework” set to take effect January 11, 2026, rescinding the 2024 CBA. TSA framed it as returning to a “security-focused framework that prioritizes workforce readiness.” Translation: stripping workers of their negotiated rights and calling it national security.

This comes after a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in June 2025 blocking Noem’s first attempt, writing that it “appears to have been undertaken to punish AFGE and its members because AFGE has chosen to push back against the Trump Administration’s attacks to federal employment in the courts.”

Apparently the message didn’t land. So she tried again.

AFGE has vowed to challenge this latest action immediately. National President Everett Kelley made clear: this union does not back down.

Why It Matters for Local 2328

When the Secretary of Homeland Security can unilaterally tear up a union contract — twice — and face no consequences except a court order, it tells you everything about this administration’s view of workers’ rights. Today it’s TSA. Tomorrow it could be the VA.

The legal precedent being set in the TSA case directly affects the enforceability of every federal CBA, including the one that protects your rights at the Hampton VA Medical Center.

AFGE is fighting this in court. Support the fight. Stay engaged.

Sources:

• Federal News Network
• Reuters