Story perspectives

TSA Will Remove Checkpoint Chairs, Officers Must Stand

By Drooid · Oct 1, 2026, 2:38 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The Transportation Security Administration will remove chairs at travel document checkpoints, requiring officers to stand.
The rule was announced nearly two months after Administrator David Cummins was confirmed.
The American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100 says the chair-less policy endangers workers’ safety and ignores ergonomic needs.
TSA spokesperson called the change an improvement to security posture and passenger hospitality, citing authority to override state right-to-sit laws.

History

Historical Context

After the September 11 attacks, Congress passed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act on November 19 2001, creating the TSA under the Department of Transportation; it moved to the Department of Homeland Security in March 2003. The agency screened 1.7 million applicants for 55,000 jobs in 2002, and today its chair-less checkpoint rule revives workplace safety concerns within federal labor policy.

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Story summary

The Transportation Security Administration will remove chairs at travel document checkpoints, requiring officers to stand.
The rule was announced nearly two months after Administrator David Cummins was confirmed.
The American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100 says the chair-less policy endangers workers’ safety and ignores ergonomic needs.
TSA spokesperson called the change an improvement to security posture and passenger hospitality, citing authority to override state right-to-sit laws.

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