A federal judge in Seattle has halted the Trump administration’s attempt to eliminate collective bargaining rights for approximately 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers, a move that sparked intense controversy. U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman issued a preliminary injunction on June 2, 2025, blocking the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from canceling a union contract with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal worker union. The decision comes in response to a lawsuit filed by AFGE and other unions, who argued that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s March directive to end TSA officers’ bargaining rights was retaliatory and lacked legal grounding.
TSA officers, who staff airport checkpoints and transportation hubs, operate outside the standard federal civil service system due to the sensitive nature of their work. During the Obama administration, they gained limited collective bargaining rights, which were expanded under Biden in 2021. A 2024 seven-year labor deal with AFGE granted officers benefits like enhanced shift trades and increased uniform allowances. Noem’s order sought to rescind these rights, claiming unions hindered TSA’s ability to respond to security threats, a justification Pechman called “threadbare” and likely in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.
Pechman’s ruling highlighted evidence suggesting the Trump administration targeted AFGE for challenging its policies in court, pointing to First Amendment violations. She noted that Noem failed to explain why collective bargaining, previously deemed beneficial for TSA’s mission, now posed a threat. The injunction preserves the union contract pending the lawsuit’s outcome, a victory celebrated by AFGE President Everett Kelley, who called it a defense against “unlawful union busting.” Critics, including labor advocates, argue the administration’s move was part of a broader campaign to weaken federal unions, citing a March executive order targeting collective bargaining for two-thirds of the federal workforce.
The decision follows a pattern of legal setbacks for Trump’s labor policies, with unions like the National Treasury Employees Union also securing injunctions against similar orders. However, a May appeals court ruling allowed some anti-union measures to proceed, indicating ongoing legal battles. The case underscores deep divisions over federal workers’ rights and the balance between national security and labor protections.
