In yet another potentially quite large win for the American people and the bloated federal budget they pay for, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), currently led by former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, made an announcement on X (formerly Twitter) and its website about the state of waste and fraud within the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
In the post, the DHS noted that the union that represents the TSA had grown massively bloated, with nearly 90% of airports having more TSA agents there to administer things for the union than perform their duties as TSA agents and try to keep Americans safe from terrorists and other threats as they travel by air.
Announcing the move on X, the DHS said, “At 86% of airports, TSA has more agents doing full-time union work than performing screening duties. Thanks to Secretary Noem’s action, Transportation Security Officers will no longer lose their hard-earned dollars to a union that does not represent them. Eliminating collective bargaining removes bureaucratic hurdles that will enhance productivity and shorten airport security wait times.”
Reporter and X personality Dan Lyman, known for his unapologetically hardline take on defending America from illegal immigration, drew attention to the news and what it appears to show in a quote tweet of the DHS post, saying, “Official DHS account exposing widespread corruption at their own TSA. We are now on a path to abolishing this wretched hive of thugs and perverts.”
In its statement released on its website on March 7, DHS announced that it would be ending collective bargaining because of how terrible the union has become, particularly on the issue of waste, fraud, and abuse. It said, “Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it is ending collective bargaining for the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Transportation Security Officers, which has constrained TSA’s chief mission: to safeguard our transportation systems and keep Americans safe. Eliminating collective bargaining removes bureaucratic hurdles that will strengthen workforce agility enhance productivity and resiliency, while also jumpstarting innovation.”
Continuing, the statement noted that the union seems to mainly protect low performers and allow obvious abuses of worker benefits and protections, such as sick days. It wrote, “Gaps in benefit programs, including non-verifiable Family and Medical Leave, are being exploited by a select few poor performers, placing greater burden on TSOs at the expense of American travelers and taxpayers. This includes instances, where a TSO requested sick leave seven months in advance.”
Further, it noted that thousands of TSA agents are working for the union rather than doing their federal duties, despite being paid by the government, writing, “TSA has more people doing full-time union work than we have performing screening functions at 86% of our airports. Of the 432 federalized airports, 374 airports have fewer than 200 TSA Officers to preform screening functions. Nearly 200 TSA Officers are paid by the government but work full-time on union matters. These people do not retain certification to perform screening functions. Additionally, in a recent TSA employee survey, over 60% said poor performers are allowed to stay employed and, not surprisingly, continue to not perform.”
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Commenting on the matter in the statement, a spokesperson for Secretary Noem said, “Thanks to Secretary Noem’s action, Transportation Security Officers will no longer lose their hard-earned dollars to a union that does not represent them. The Trump Administration is committed returning to merit-based hiring and firing policies. This action will ensure Americans will have a more effective and modernized workforces across the nation’s transportation networks. TSA is renewing its commitment to providing a quick and secure travel process for Americans.”
Secretary Noem has also focused recently on rooting out leakers who are aiding Tren de Aragua. Watch her comment on the matter here:
Featured image credit: By Transportation Security Administration – @tsa on Instagram, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78983805