The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union) called on March 22 for immediate payment to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees, citing growing delays at U.S. airports due to a partial government shutdown.
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 emphasizing the need for TSA officers (TSOs) to be paid without delay. The unions said that maintaining pay is essential to ensuring airport security and avoiding further disruption.
In their statement, the unions said: “Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers must be paid now.” They pointed out that “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 recent proposals involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “This latest threat of ICE invasion at the airports is another distraction from solutions that protect Americans,” they said. The statement explained that TSOs undergo extensive training specific to airport security tasks—training not easily replaced by ICE agents—and warned that shifting focus toward immigration enforcement could undermine safety efforts.
They concluded: “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.”
The union coalition reiterated its demand: “Pay TSA Workers now.”
