Trump Just Eliminated Unions At This Key Federal Agency
www.huffpost.com
Union leaders have warned such a move would diminish working conditions and threaten safety at an agency infamous for low morale.

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.

  • @DontTreadOnBigfoot
    31•2 days ago

    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]English
      13•2 days ago

      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!?

      • @sleepydragn1
        10•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.