Thanks to the efforts of the members of AFGE TSA Council 100 and the national staff at AFGE, Transportation Security Officers can now look forward to better rights on the job, more money in their pocket, and a more powerful voice at their airports and with the agency itself.  
 
After months of collective bargaining between the agency and the union, a seven-year contract was agreed upon on March 5. Two days later, TSA Council 100, which represents TSOs nationwide, started the 45-day ratification process. 

“This new contract is yet another example of the growing momentum of our union members at TSA,” said AFGE Council 100 President Hydrick Thomas.  

Certain agency-employee committees, for example, are normally controlled by the agency who took part in selecting members from the union. Now the union will get to pick whomever it wants to represent the employees. 

“We have a national advisory council with TSA, and it was a joint selection process, and now the union will be able to pick who we want on it,” he added. 

AFGE Council 100 Secretary-Treasurer Johnny Jones says that this new contract is the farthest TSA officers have come in the fight for Title 5 rights.  

“It gets us very, very close to having Title 5 rights, the contract in itself. Once it’s signed, it’s going to be hard to roll back,” Jones said. “It gets us about 80% of what we’ve been wanting over the years. It’s not perfect, but it’s a hell of a lot better than what it was.”  

AFGE Deputy Chief of Staff Amelia Glymph, who served as member of the bargaining team, said she is proud of AFGE and our achievements over the years. 

“I am so proud of how far we’ve come and how much we’ve gained for TSOs nationwide,” she said. “My career with AFGE began in 2009 with me handing out showing of interest cards to TSOs at the Atlanta airport train station, explaining the importance of having a voice on the job and urging them to vote yes to forming a union and becoming part of AFGE. Here we are 15 years later, reaching a tentative agreement with the agency that expands workplace rights, puts money back into workers’ pockets and so much more. It’s such an amazing accomplishment.” 

The negotiation process was a long one, but it ultimately paid off in granting the most rights for TSOs in the agency’s history. 

“It’s a huge leap,” said AFGE Legal Rights Attorney Chris Blessing, who took part in the negotiations. “AFGE has more than doubled the number of articles that could be bargained with TSA. But it’s more than just numbers – the substance is there, too. For example, grievance and arbitration processes are finally part of the collective bargaining agreement. These procedures are a significant improvement over the status quo and will enable employees and the union to effectively enforce all the new benefits they have just won.”