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 25: SELECTION PROCESS FOR SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS

Official CBA pages 113-117

Official CBA Page 113

ARTICLE 25: SELECTION PROCESS FOR SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS

A. PURPOSE: This Article contains responsibilities, eligibility requirements, and the selection

process regarding special assignments for bargaining unit employees. For purposes of this

Article, any deployment of security personnel for security-related duties and functions (e.g.,

ATLAS, VIPR) is excluded and not considered a special assignment.

B. DEFINITIONS:

1. Area of Consideration: For the purposes of special assignments, the area of consideration

may be restricted to:

a. All bargaining unit employees at specific airport(s)

b. Hub and Spoke(s) only: All airports and duty stations under the supervision of a single

FSD

c. Workgroup(s) (e.g., STI, TSO, LTSO, ETSO, EMT)

d. If the above areas of consideration do not generate a sufficient number of volunteers,

the area of consideration may be expanded.

2. Entry on Duty Date (EOD): For the purposes of this Article, the date the bargaining unit

employee began employment with TSA (in a position within the bargaining unit) as

reflected by the effective date on the bargaining unit employee’s Notification of Personnel

Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50).

3. Position of Record: The TSA position, as documented on the bargaining unit employee’s

most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent) and the current

job/position description (TSA Job Analysis Tool), to which the bargaining unit employee

is officially assigned. The position of record is defined by pay band, occupational category,

job series, appointment type, and any other condition(s) that determined coverage under

the TSA classification/pay system.

4. Qualification Requirements: Specific work experience, certifications (e.g. passenger

certifications, baggage certification, equipment certification), and requirements (e.g.

license), as utilized or developed by TSA Human Capital, necessary for the special

assignment.

5. Seniority: For purposes of this Article, seniority is defined as the bargaining unit

employee’s EOD. If bargaining unit employees have identical EODs, the following

tiebreakers will be used:

a. The Service Computation Date (SCD) will be used as the first tiebreaker.

b. Any ties remaining after the application of the above process will be resolved by a

randomizer, such as www.random.org.

6. Service Computation Date (SCD): The date, either actual or constructed by crediting

Official CBA Page 114

service, used to determine annual leave, which is based on how long the bargaining unit

employee has been in the Federal service. For a bargaining unit employee with no prior

creditable civilian or military service, the SCD is the effective date of the bargaining unit

employee’s first Federal civilian appointment.

7. Special Assignment: A voluntary, temporary assignment of a bargaining unit employee to

duties other than those of their position of record that is:

a. More than twenty percent (20%) of the bargaining unit employee’s scheduled work

hours; and for more than thirty (30) calendar days in duration.

b. Service on advisory councils/committees are not considered special assignments.

Additionally, any deployment of security personnel for security-related duties and

functions (e.g., ATLAS, VIPR) is excluded and not considered a special assignment.

C. RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Management is solely responsible for initiating special assignments, determining the

circumstances under which special assignments will be used, the area of consideration, and

the duration of these special assignments subject to the terms of this Article.

2. Management is responsible for ensuring that special assignments in excess of thirty (30)

calendar days are documented in a letter that will be provided to the bargaining unit

employee and placed in their local employee file.

3. Management is responsible for selecting bargaining unit employees for special assignments

in accordance with this Article.

4. Management will provide a copy of the special assignment announcement to the AFGE

local president or designee at the time such announcement is posted.

5. Management will notify the AFGE local president or designee of the bargaining unit

employee(s) selected for the special assignment.

6. Management will provide the AFGE local president or designee with a list of the

anticipated special assignments for the hub and spoke network before the start of each

airport-wide shift bid.

D. ELIGIBILITY:

1. Bargaining unit employees are eligible for special assignments after they have been

employed by TSA as a bargaining unit employee for at least twelve (12) months.

2. Bargaining unit employees that have received a suspension(s) of four (4) to fourteen (14)

days within the previous six (6) months, an adverse action within the previous twelve (12)

months, or are currently under investigation pending a potential disciplinary or adverse

Official CBA Page 115

action, are not eligible for special assignments.

E. PROCESS: When management determines special assignments are necessary for meeting the

temporary needs of TSA’s work and/or programs, or for training or bargaining unit employee

development purposes, management will select for such special assignments either by seniority

or competitive selection consistent with this Article. Special assignments are for specific

periods of time as set forth below.

1. Notification of Special Assignment: Prior to making a special assignment under this Article

management will inform the bargaining unit employees through a special assignment

announcement:

a. For the special assignments selected by seniority (i.e., the special assignments listed in

Section E.3): Management will inform the bargaining unit employees of the area of

consideration, the nature of the intended special assignment, the license(s), if

applicable, as well as the special assignment’s expected duration and end date. Such

information shall be announced both electronically (e.g., via email) and on official

bulletin boards, normally at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the expected start date.

b. Special assignments made by competitive selection will use the internal announcement

in Section E.4. The internal announcement will be posted both electronically (e.g., via

email) and on official bulletin boards, normally at least ten (10) calendar days prior to

the expected start date.

2. Seniority Selection Process: Management may use the seniority selection process to select

for any special assignment. Management must use the seniority selection process for the

special assignments listed in Section E.3. When using seniority selection:

a. Management will solicit volunteers, who must meet the requirements of Section E.1.a,

and selection will be made in seniority order.

b. If too few bargaining unit employees volunteer who meet the requirements of Section

E.1.a, the selection process will be in inverse seniority order.

3. In accordance with Section E.2, management will use seniority for the following special

assignments:

a. uniform room duties;

b. duties to assist the procurement officer;

c. supply and logistics duties (e.g., voluntarily abandoned property);

d. van driver and/or vehicle maintenance duties;

e. supply team duties; and

f. any other special assignment that does not require a specific skill(s) or skillset.

4. Internal Announcement for Competitive Selection: The internal announcement must

include the following information:

Official CBA Page 116

a. Opening and closing dates and times;

b. Area of consideration;

c. Description of duties;

d. Qualification Requirements: Specific work experience, certifications (e.g., passenger

certification, baggage certification, equipment certification), and requirements (e.g.

license), as utilized or developed by TSA Human Capital, necessary for the special

assignment;

e. How and where to apply;

f. Point of contact information;

g. Equal Employment Opportunity statement;

h. Anticipated length of the special assignment;

i. Anticipated performance system applicable to the bargaining unit employee during the

special assignment; and

j. AFGE is the exclusive representative of bargaining unit employees.

5. Competitive Selection Process: When using the competitive selection process,

management will fill a special assignment by one of the following methods:

a. Posting a special assignment and interviewing all of the bargaining unit employees who

applied and meet the requirements of Sections E.4.b and E.4.d prior to making a

selection; or

b. Posting a special assignment and selecting the most senior bargaining unit employee

who applied and meets the requirements of Sections E.4.b and E.4.d without

interviewing.

6. While conducting the competitive or seniority selection process, management may assign

a bargaining unit employee to the duties of an anticipated special assignment for up to thirty

(30) calendar days.

7. Special assignments cannot create an ethical conflict in the supervisory chain.

8. Special assignments may be extended for periods of up to one (1) year for a total maximum

of two (2) years in the special assignment.

9. Upon completion of a special assignment, a bargaining unit employee may not be selected

for any additional special assignments for at least twelve (12) months, unless no other

bargaining unit employee applies who meets the requirements of Sections E.4.b and E.4.d

of this Article.

10. The Parties understand that for purposes of this section, special assignments of a higher

pay band shall be accomplished through temporary promotion. Special assignments with

duties of a higher pay band for a period in excess of thirty (30) consecutive calendar days

must be made by temporary promotion. Management shall not rotate bargaining unit

Official CBA Page 117

employees for less than thirty (30) calendar days solely to avoid a temporary promotion.

The bargaining unit employee will receive all benefits associated with the temporary

promotion beginning on the first day of the effective date of the temporary promotion.

11. Cessation of Special Assignments:

a. Management may end a bargaining unit employee’s special assignment at any time.

b. A bargaining unit employee may submit a written request to end their participation in

a special assignment. Management will approve the written request as soon as

practicable.

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