Key facts
- TSA officers will no longer be allowed to sit while checking IDs at US airport checkpoints.
- The TSA is removing chairs from checkpoints.
- The American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100 represents TSA workers.
- The union called the decision a 'disregard for workers' rights and safety'.
- The TSA stated the change reinforces security posture and hospitality by keeping officers alert.
US Transportation Security Administration officers will no longer be permitted to sit while checking IDs at US airport checkpoints, the agency and a major union confirmed Tuesday. The TSA is removing chairs from checkpoints, a move criticized by the American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100, which represents the workers, as a "disregard for workers' rights and safety." The union stated the chairs "serve as basic ergonomic and safety support for officers that stand and walk on hard surfaces all day."
The TSA confirmed the decision, stating: "This welcome change reinforces both our security posture and our commitment to hospitality by having these officers on their feet and alert. All officers must meet fitness for duty requirements to be capable of performing their vital national security function."
President Donald Trump proposed in April cutting more than 9,400 workers and just over $1.5 billion, or about 20%, from the annual budget of the 60,000-employee TSA. Trump also proposed requiring smaller airports to use private security, a move that would cut the TSA payroll by more than 4,500 jobs in a first step toward privatizing the agency created after the September 11, 2001, attacks. About 20 airports have used private security screeners for years.
In August, the US Senate confirmed David Cummins, a senior vice president of Serco, to head the TSA. Trump fired TSA head David Pekoske on his first day in office in 2025 and did not nominate a replacement for 16 months. A government shutdown earlier this spring forced 50,000 TSA workers to go without pay for six weeks, resulting in major disruptions, including airport security waits extending four hours or more.