The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union) announced on March 22 that it is calling for the immediate payment of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers as U.S. airports face long security delays. The IAM Union joined with the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Association of Professional Flight Attendants, and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 135 in releasing a joint statement addressing concerns over the ongoing partial government shutdown.
The unions say that failing to pay TSA officers not only creates hardship for these employees but also puts airport security at risk. They argue that the Department of Homeland Security has billions in discretionary funds available, which could be used to pay TSA officers during the shutdown, similar to how Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents, and active duty Coast Guard members are being paid.
In their statement, the unions said: “Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers must be paid now.” They continued: “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 raised concerns about proposals to use ICE agents at airports instead of trained TSA officers. “This latest threat of ICE invasion at the airports is another distraction from solutions that protect Americans,” they said. The statement highlighted that TSA officers undergo a six-month training program focused on screening passengers and identifying threats such as disguised or disassembled weapons—expertise ICE agents do not possess.
They further warned against introducing immigration enforcement duties into airport operations: “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.”
Concluding their message, the unions stated: “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.”
