The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), representing 47,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers, has initiated legal action against the agency over its new TSA Gold+ program. The lawsuit, filed on August 5 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, aims to compel the TSA to release records concerning the expansion of privatized security screening at airports.

The AFGE alleges that the TSA has been pursuing this private-public partnership in a "secretive" manner, without proper disclosure to the public. According to the complaint, the agency has violated the statutory deadline for a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and unlawfully withheld records that should be accessible to the union.

AFGE General Counsel Rushab Sanghvi expressed concerns about the privatization of federal jobs, stating, "I don't think it's any sort of surprise that a union and AFGE would be concerned about the privatization of federal jobs, that we think is wrong. But I think this is even worse than something the American public should be concerned about because they're pushing through this privatization effort sort of in the shadows without much information to the public."

The union claims it only learned about TSA Gold+ by chance when a flyer was discovered at Orlando International Airport in April. TSA has not provided any comments regarding the lawsuit. Sanghvi emphasized that the FOIA lawsuit aims to obtain information that the agency is legally obligated to share, suggesting that the findings may reveal unlawful practices in the program's rollout.

Currently, around 20 airports utilize privatized screening under the Screening Partnership Program (SPP). TSA describes TSA Gold+ as "the next evolution" of SPP, allowing airports to partner with third-party contractors for customized security screening services, while still being overseen by the federal agency. This initiative is intended to encourage private investment, enhance technological innovation, and improve the passenger experience, all while maintaining high security standards.

Three airports—Charleston International Airport, Tampa International Airport, and Des Moines International Airport—are set to implement TSA Gold+ next year. A spokesperson for Tampa International Airport indicated that the decision to adopt TSA Gold+ was influenced by the desire to mitigate disruption risks associated with funding lapses during government shutdowns.

The union's concerns extend beyond transparency; they also worry about the implications of privatizing security screenings on public safety and the job security of TSA officers. Chris Finlay, president of the AFGE Local 556 chapter and a TSA worker for over 20 years, noted that previous transitions to privatization have often resulted in reduced pay and benefits for workers.

In response to these concerns, TSA has stated that officers will have the first right of refusal for positions with private vendors, which are required to offer comparable pay and benefits. Sanghvi reiterated the union's commitment to ensuring airport safety and fair treatment for TSA employees, many of whom are veterans, stating, "We continue to push to make sure that our airports are safe and that our federal employees, our TSOs – the people who work at TSA at the airport – are treated with respect, and they're not replaced with poorly paid jobs that are going to impair public safety."