WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Homeland Security said Friday that it is ending the collective bargaining agreement with the tens of thousands of frontline employees at the Transportation Security Administration, marking a major effort to dismantle union protections under the Trump administration.

The TSA union called it on “unprovoked attack” and vowed to fight it.

READ MORE: Heads of TSA, Coast Guard fired on Trump’s first full day in office

The department criticized the union whose staffers are responsible for keeping weapons off airplanes and protecting air travel. Officials said that poor performers were being allowed to stay on the job and that the agreement was hindering the ability of the organization “to safeguard our transportation systems and keep Americans safe” — an assessment that faced immediate pushback from a top Democrat in Congress and the union.

“This action will ensure Americans will have a more effective and modernized workforces across the nation’s transportation networks,” the agency said in a statement.

The American Federation of Government Employees is the union representing the TSA workers. The federation and TSA’s then-administrator, David Pekoske, signed the CBA in May. It came amid a push by Homeland Security to improve the pay of frontline workers, which has historically lagged behind other government employees. Pekoske credited the pay increases with improving employee retention and morale.

The union said the order would strip...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxQSm1PZXc5ZGlnZ01rRlBtRFV1...