Adds union statement, statement from lawmaker

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, March 7 (Reuters) - The Trump administration said Friday it is ending collective bargaining for about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers that staff checkpoints at U.S. airports and other transportation hubs.

American Federation of Government Employees President Everett Kelley called the decision "clear retaliation" because the "union has been out in front challenging this administration’s unlawful actions targeting federal workers, both in the legal courts and in the court of public opinion."

AFGE has challenged a number of actions by the Elon Musk-led DOGE team to cut the federal workforce.

The Homeland Security Department said the move will remove bureaucratic hurdles. AFGE said the department had made "false claims" about the number of transportation workers performing union duties.

President Donald Trump on Jan. 20 forced out TSA administrator David Pekoske, whom he had named to the job in 2017 and was reappointed by former President Joe Biden.

Trump has not yet named a candidate to replace Pekoske.

The TSA reached a new seven-year labor deal in May 2024 with AFGE after nearly a year of negotiations. The Biden administration expanded the scope of bargaining permitted in 2022 with TSA workers.

Workers got enhanced shift trade options, increased allowance for uniforms and the addition of parental bereavement leave and weather and safety leave as part of the labor deal.

The Homeland Security Department declined to answer if it planned to continue to honor any provisions of the existing contract.

Representative Bennie Thompson, top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, said "attempting to negate their legally binding collective bargaining agreement now makes zero sense – it will only reduce morale and hamper the workforce."

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

((David.Shepardson@thomsonreuters.com; 2028988324;))