this post was submitted on 07 Mar 2025
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/26471893

Summary

Trump is revoking collective bargaining rights at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), ending union protections for thousands of airport security officers.

The Department of Homeland Security claims the move will improve efficiency and security, but unions argue it is a retaliatory attack on federal workers.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) plans to challenge the decision. TSA workers fear the rollback will worsen working conditions and retention.

The policy reverses union rights granted under Obama and expanded by Biden.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago

Y'all missing the point. Fuck cops sure. But an attack on one union is an attack on unions. Push to abolish the TSA AND support their collective rights.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

TSA is part of the whole post 9/11 patriot act authoritarian push. It needs to end. It was a pointless unnecessary overreaction then, and it remains so.

TSA are cops. And cops aren't workers. They're class traitors. The enforcement arm of capital.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago

But that's the spin. Trump didn't try to break the TSA union.

Trump is trying to break a cop union.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 days ago

ACAB includes TSA. Fuck them.

Abolish the TSA.

[–] [email protected] 52 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Boss: I've decided to pay you shit wages and expect you to work nightmare hours.

Union: We've all banded together and would collectively like to tell you that we prefer better wages and more reasonable hours, or else we will strike.

Boss: I've decided you can't do that, or else.

Union: Yes, or else, indeed. That's the core concept here.

Call his fuckin' bluff, or else you don't really have a union at all.

[–] MajorHavoc 11 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I would love to hear about the day TSA simply didn't show up. Make this happen, folks.

All their options to deal with it are embarrassing for the stooges in charge.

[–] expr 7 points 2 days ago

Just sounds like a win-win. The fascists no longer have their travel cops, and people no longer have to deal with the useless bullshit of the TSA.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

Ronald Reagan did exactly that with air traffic controllers. Fired the lot of them.

[–] [email protected] 61 points 2 days ago (4 children)

Does the president actually have the power to union-bust, or is he just continuing to do what he wants...? I realize it's largely an academic question, since no one will resist this guy's illegal actions...

[–] [email protected] 33 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

The implication of the summary text is that the protections were granted by executive mandate, not through legislation, so presumably they could be revoked the same way.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I'm largely uninformed on the specifics, but it's insane that he can use EOs to give himself the authority to do a thing, then go do the thing he previously wasn't allowed to do. What the fuck, America!?

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

It's a little bit confusing, but from what I've read, the collective bargaining rights that they previously enjoyed were granted from the beginning by the agency's administrator, so it follows that they can be revoked by the agency's administrator in turn.

Here's a 2011 NPR article covering when they were initially granted those rights.

As always, this is the danger in allowing such rules to be set by the executive branch instead of codified into law — when the next guy is in office, they can always easily undo it.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 days ago

No, he doesn’t. This is Trump just hurling executive orders at things he doesn’t like.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 2 days ago (2 children)

You want to piss off employees who keep terrorists, drugs, and weapons out of the country?

On second thought... yes, he does, because he isn't working for Americans.

[–] [email protected] 47 points 2 days ago (4 children)

Except the TSA has never shown to be remotely effective at doing any of that.

I'm of the opinion that the TSA should probably be abolished, but keeping it while abusing its employees is the worst of both worlds...

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 days ago

Worst jobs program ever, all you need is a good metal detector and that’s it. The security theater after 9/11 has been and always will be a joke.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago

Except the TSA has never shown to be remotely effective at doing any of that.

So, we'd all be OK if these 6,000+ loaded firearms PER YEAR were allowed to pass through unchecked?

There's always room for improvement, but the idea that everything needs to be abolished, rather than improved, seems crazy.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

There is no way to quantify the number of attacks that would have happened without the TSA. "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". The TSA is a very effective deterrent.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

Oh, my friend, of course we can quantify it. There was a time when TSA didn't exist. And of course many other countries don't have TSA.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Bust/siezing data must be classified. I bet Congress has access to it, no?

Also many “mundane” duties of customs are important. Like keeping parasites or invasive species out.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 days ago (1 children)

TSA has nothing to do with customs, who do an actual important job as you note. TSA is strictly domestic "security"

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Ah yeah I mixed that up.

People are kinda crazy though. It doesn’t have to be so extreme, they aren’t going to stop a smart/motivated terrorist, but I think a deterrent against some poor soul bringing their family gun on board is a good idea.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Hey, maybe they're a deterrent but they definitely don't have a good track record. I just miss when you could see your friend or family member off to the gate. Now it's just another part of the misery factory that is air travel.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

you still can go, you just have to ask the ticket agent for a pass to get through security.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

TSA is worthless, my friend. Nobody should support their agency. Fire them all, please. I do, however, support workers unionizing and striking, and if that is TSA employees, high five.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Cops shouldn't have unions. 🤷‍♀️

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

TSA are cops. Do we show solidarity with cop unions?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago

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