April 17, 2026
Dear Representative:
On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), which represents millions of aviation workers at airports nationwide, we urge you to cosponsor the Rights for the TSA Workforce Act (H.R. 2086). This bipartisan legislation ensures frontline Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) have the same protections and rights as other federal workers under Title 5 of the U.S. Code.
The Transportation Security Administration was born in the aftermath of the worst domestic terror attack on American soil. For more than 20 years, TSOs have strengthened our aviation security at more than 400 airports nationwide. These dedicated officers provide a primary layer of security screening for nearly 2.5 million airline passengers daily and more than 10 million scheduled commercial flights annually. Every day, they serve on the front lines of our aviation security network to keep commercial aviation safe and secure. TSOs routinely identify and confiscate weapons at airport security checkpoints, setting a record just last year for the number of firearms confiscated before they could be brought onto flights. For their essential service to our nation, these workers have more than earned the right to due process and the ability to collectively bargain. Due process and collective bargaining both enhance a safety/security culture.
The Rights for the TSA Workforce Act would provide TSOs full federal employee collective bargaining rights, access to an independent third party for dispute resolution, and compensation under the General Services wage system. Currently, TSOs do not have the same basic workplace rights afforded to other federal workers because the TSA workforce was excluded from the Title 5 personnel system when TSA was created. The legislation would direct the TSA to respect workers’ current tenure, status, and other benefits, such as leave, pay, and health insurance, during the conversion to Title 5.
The Rights for the TSA Workforce Act has bipartisan support and passed the U.S. House of Representatives in the 117th Congress. Members of Congress should cosponsor H.R. 2086 to demonstrate their commitment to the frontline TSOs who protect our aviation system and affirm that they deserve equal treatment as federal employees. Enacting this legislation would reduce turnover at the agency and improve passenger security by strengthening the TSO workforce. We thank Members for considering workers’ perspectives and urge you to join both the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee in cosponsoring this legislation.
Sincerely,
Greg Regan
President