Member Reference

Collective Bargaining Agreement

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Official Reference

2024 AFGE TSA Council 100 and TSA Collective Bargaining Agreement

Effective Date: May 24, 2024

Note: The contract language below is displayed from the official CBA text. It is not summarized or rewritten.

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ARTICLE 24: AWARDS AND RECOGNITION PROCESS

Official CBA pages 108-112

Official CBA Page 108

ARTICLE 24: AWARDS AND RECOGNITION PROCESS

A. Recognition of bargaining unit employee accomplishments is an important element in effective

workforce management. This Article contains the process for distributing awards and for

recognizing achievements of bargaining unit employees and individual or team achievements

that contribute to TSA’s mission.

B. Awards and recognition categories and criteria are detailed in TSA Management Directive

(MD) 1100.45-1, Awards and Recognition, and any subsequent revisions. Management retains

the right to add, rescind, or amend awards, award categories, and award criteria during the

period of this Agreement. Awards are based on merit and distributed fairly. In the event of a

conflict with regard to the awards and recognition process, the provisions of this Article shall

govern. As of the effective date of this Agreement, examples of awards in TSA policy are:

1. Attendance Award: A cash award designed to recognize employees for their sustained

availability in the workplace.

2. Career Service Recognition: The periodic recognition of an employee for creditable years

of Federal service or recognition of total years of service upon retirement.

3. Distinguished Career Service Award: The Secretary of Homeland Security or the TSA

Administrator may grant this award to retiring employees with more than twenty (20) years

of Federal service who are deemed to have made significant contributions to the Federal

service during their careers.

4. Honorary Award: A type of non-monetary award that is an object the recipient would

reasonably be expected to value, but that does not convey a sense of monetary value.

5. John W. Magaw Leadership Values Award: This is an annual recognition by the TSA

Administrator of an individual who has significantly contributed to the advancement of the

TSA mission while demonstrating outstanding leadership values. Selection will be made

by the TSA Administrator.

6. On-the-Spot Awards: Monetary awards of a net amount after required tax withholding of

$50 to $250 which provide immediate recognition for worthy non-recurring contributio ns.

Designated management officials should recognize an employee(s) as quickly as possible

after the worthy contribution when granting an on-the-spot award.

7. Performance Awards: Performance awards are lump-sum, cash awards designated to

recognize employees for their accomplishment of duties.

8. Special Achievement Award: A one-time, lump sum cash award granted in recognition of

an employee’s significant contribution(s) related to official employment.

Official CBA Page 109

9. Time-Off Award: An excused absence from duty granted to a bargaining unit employee(s)

for use without charge to leave or loss of pay. Time-off awards recognize bargaining unit

employee(s) work accomplishments.

C. LOCAL AIRPORT AWARDS AND RECOGNITION: Nothing in this Article precludes

Federal Security Directors (FSD) or their designees from developing and using additional

awards (e.g., “Employee of the Month”) and/or means of recognizing bargaining unit

employees appropriate to their airports (e.g. certificates, plaques).

D. GENERAL:

1. Management retains the discretion to determine how much, if any, of its budget will be

allocated for awards and recognition and when funds become available for distribution.

2. Awards that provide monetary recognition will be in the form of a lump-sum payment.

3. It is the policy of TSA to recognize and reward significant employee contributions and

achievements in a fair manner consistent with TSA MD 1100.45-1, Awards and

Recognition.

4. Within ninety (90) calendar days after the end of the fiscal year, TSA will provide AFGE

Council 100 with an electronic annual report on the awards program for bargaining unit

employees which contains the total annual awards allocation for each hub and the total

expenditure of the awards budget per hub. For CAT X and CAT I airports only, the report

will assign each bargaining unit employee who received an award a random numeric value

and provide the position, grade, and award category for each anonymized bargaining unit

employee. The annual report will be in an electronic format that allows the Union to filter

by airport location for the Union to disseminate to AFGE Local Presidents as needed.

5. Awards and recognition may not be used as a substitute for overtime pay, promotion, or

any other purpose not compatible with the criteria for awards and recognition described in

this Article and in TSA MD 1100.45-1, Awards and Recognition.

6. When management grants an award under this Article, the awardee(s) will be timely

notified of the management official granting the award, the type of award, and a brief

description of the basis of the award.

7. TSA will continue to publish award criteria by making TSA MD 1100.45-1, Awards and

Recognition, and any subsequent revisions, available on TSA’s intranet.

8. Management will consider for award recognition bargaining unit employee contributions

such as language skills or employee flexibility in support of operational challenges such as

same-sex gender pat-downs and other screening requirements consistent with this Article.

9. Management will generally process awards in a timely and expeditious manner.

Official CBA Page 110

10. When a bargaining unit employee is granted an award, management will timely inform the

bargaining unit employee.

E. JOINT AWARDS COMMITTEES:

1. At the commencement of each fiscal year, the Federal Security Director or designee and

the AFGE Local President or designee will establish a Joint Awards Committee (JAC) at

CAT X and CAT I airports as well as at any hub airports regardless of category. Such

committees will be made up of an equal number of bargaining unit employees and local

TSA management. The FSD or designee has the discretion to increase the percentage of

bargaining unit employees participating on the JAC to greater than fifty percent (50%) of

the total. However, at least one member of the JAC must be a management official.

Representatives are generally expected to serve on the JAC for the fiscal year.

2. The Union will unilaterally select the bargaining unit employees serving on the JAC.

3. JAC Procedures:

a. Union representatives on 100% official time who serve on the JAC will do so on official

time. Union representatives on 50% official time will serve on official time or duty

time, depending on whether the JAC is scheduled to take place during their official

time or during the part of their schedule when they are performing screening functions.

Bargaining unit employees (who are not union representatives) serving on the JAC will

do so on duty time. All other bargaining unit employees who are Union Representatives

serving on the JAC may be approved for official time consistent with Article 6: Union

Representatives and Official Time.

b. The JAC will evaluate awards and recognition nominations, including on-the-spot,

special achievement awards, and time off awards for bargaining unit employees. The

JAC will submit recommendations for such awards to the designated management

official for final approval. All JAC members are responsible for assuring that

recommendations for awards and recognition are based on merit and consistent with

criteria set forth in TSA MD 1100.45-1, Awards and Recognition.

c. The required quorum for any JAC meeting is at least three members: two (2) bargaining

unit employees and one (1) from management.

d. To ensure the JAC is prepared to execute its responsibilities under this Article, each

JAC will prepare a charter, which will first be reviewed by the AFGE Local President

and Federal Security Director or designee and then be signed by the JAC Co-Chairs,

and the JAC will review these procedures when necessary.

4. JAC deliberations concerning awards nominations and recommendations will be

considered confidential by both Parties and JAC members, and as such, will not be

publicized to the bargaining unit. This provision is not intended to prohibit either party or

JAC members from presenting evidence or providing testimony regarding the conduct of

Official CBA Page 111

a JAC member in a third-party proceeding (e.g., arbitration, EEO complaint) where such

evidence or testimony is relevant or necessary to the adjudication of the case.

5. JAC members may not participate in or be present during the deliberation of an award

recommendation for which they are nominated or for which there is a conflict of interest

(e.g. nominations for relatives).

6. Management has the discretion to grant awards under this Article without conducting a

formal nomination process. However, when management grants an award under this

Article, the awardee(s) and the JAC Co-Chairs will be notified of the management official

granting the award, the type of award, the monetary value of the award (if any), and a brief

description of the basis for the award.

F. AWARDS AND RECOGNITION NOMINATION PROCEDURES:

1. Bargaining unit employees may submit nominations to the JAC on TSA Form 1140 or any

other format approved by the JAC Co-Chairs. Recommendations will be submitted by the

JAC to the official with award approval authority on TSA Form 1140.

2. Nominations for awards and recognition under this process will be submitted in the

following ways:

a. Groups/Teams: may be nominated by agreement of the group/team’s members; sponsor

or supervisor of the group/team; and/or nominated by a TSA employee who uses or

benefits from the group’s/team’s services or products.

b. Bargaining unit employees may be nominated by themselves, a peer/co-worker, a

manager, or supervisor.

3. To ensure bargaining unit employee-initiated nominations have been processed and

forwarded to the JAC, bargaining unit employees may also provide a copy of submitted

nominations to their AFGE Local President or designee. Nothing in this provision is

intended to prevent JAC consideration of an award nomination for which the Union was

not provided a copy.

4. Awards and recognition nominations should be solicited and processed throughout the

year. At least once each fiscal quarter, the FSD or designee will formally solicit

nominations for individual and/or group/team awards.

a. Bargaining unit employees will be provided a minimum of fourteen (14) calendar days

from the date of the solicitation announcement to submit award nominations to the

designated JAC or management Point of Contact (POC).

b. Within fourteen (14) calendar days from the closing date for nominations, the JAC may

meet to evaluate the nominations. The JAC will use consensus decision making

methods to recommend to management which nominees should receive awards and

Official CBA Page 112

may also recommend award amounts if delegated the authority in the local charter. If

the JAC is unable to reach consensus, a majority vote (i.e., more than fifty percent

(50%)) of the JAC members present at the meeting will determine whether the JAC

will forward a nomination as an award recommendation. In the event of a tie, the

determination to forward a nomination will favor the nominee.

5. In accordance with applicable law, rule, and regulation, bargaining unit employees may

not receive awards under this process for the performance of union representational

functions. However, union representatives may be considered for awards related to their

TSA job duties.

6. Within thirty (30) calendar days of receiving the JAC or management recommendations,

the official with award approval authority will consider the recommendations and accept,

modify, or reject them. If the recommendation is modified or rejected, the JAC may request

a short explanation for the modification or rejection from the designated management

official and submit a written request for reconsideration to the designated management

official.

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