TSA orders chairs removed from checkpoints; union pushes back

Workers required to sign morale pledge the same week, union says

TSA officials ordered chairs removed from travel document check stations on September 25, arguing that “maintaining a standing posture helps reinforce professionalism, attentiveness and active engagement with passengers” and that the policy change “reinforces both our security posture and our commitment to hospitality.” Chairs were not removed from x-ray machines because the manufacturers recommend sitting while operating the equipment, according to the union.

Union officials described the rollout as abrupt. “People are calling, members are mad, employees are upset because they literally started their day, everything was normal, and by halfway through their shift, they’re (TSA) taking all the chairs out and replacing them with inadequate mats,” said Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) TSA council 100 and president of AFGE local 1040, which represents TSA workers in Dallas-Fort Worth. “The amount of phone calls I received is almost the same as if everybody got fired all at once, almost similar to when we have government shutdowns.”

“They didn’t notify the union at all, obviously, nor the employees. They decided it would be a great idea to make their employees upset,” Jones said. “A lot of people don’t have adequate footwear to need to stand up for that long,” Jones added. “The agency didn’t allow us to bargain any of these changes. They just implemented them. It’s very demoralizing, upsetting that the agency would do this to transportation security officers.” It was unclear where the change leaves TSA employees who require light-duty accommodations, Jones said.

Border patrol officers and customs officers continue to use chairs while screening travel documents, Jones said, and US Customs and Border Protection told the Guardian it has not adopted a similar standing policy.

In the week the policy was implemented, workers were required to sign a pledge that promises to support “the well-being and morale of our colleagues,” according to the union.

“Our officers screen millions of people a day and they do it right, sitting or standing,” said Hydrick Thomas, president of AFGE TSA council 100, in a statement. “Nobody who works a checkpoint asked for this. Nobody who flies asked for this. If TSA leadership truly believes standing makes people better at their jobs, I look forward to watching every manager in the building prove it for eight hours straight. We will bring the pledge. They can bring their own chair, if they are allowed one.”

The union launched a letter-writing campaign calling on the public to ask TSA to “restore the chairs.” Jones said he was unsure what was being done with the chairs removed from airports around the US.

The chair removal is the latest labor issue at TSA since Trump began his second term. TSA workers are also currently facing possible pay freezes and significant increases to their health insurance premium costs.

Under the Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security has twice attempted to cancel the collective bargaining agreement between TSA and its unions. A judge ruled in January to reinstate the contract, finding that the agency’s attempt to void it violated a court injunction.

TSA workers continued working without pay during two government shutdowns that began after the start of Trump’s second term. The first ran from October 1 to November 12, 2025. The second, a partial shutdown, affected TSA workers for 76 days from February through April 2026.

The administration has also been expanding the privatization of TSA screening work through a program called TSA Gold+, which routes some checkpoint operations to private contractors. Tampa airport abandoned its plan to join the program after public criticism.

A TSA spokesperson told ABC News that the chair policy is a “welcome change” that “reinforces both our security posture and our commitment to hospitality by having these officers on their feet and alert,” but did not address why the agency did not negotiate the change with the union. “All officers must meet fitness for duty requirements to be capable of performing their vital national security function while simultaneously creating a welcoming and professional environment for travelers,” the spokesperson said.

TSA did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the policy and the union’s criticisms. The agency continues to require that a chair be available upon request for travelers.