Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, representing 55,000 Flight Attendants at 20 airlines, told Salon in an interview on Saturday that Noem’s unilateral move was “PATCO on steroids,” referencing President Reagan’s mass firing of 11,000 striking air traffic controllers.

DHS argued that eliminating collective bargaining will make airports more efficient by removing “bureaucratic hurdles that will enhance productivity, and lower passengers’ wait times

The federal government has canceled a seven-year contract with the union representing about 47,000 TSA agents. Local units are taking the brunt of the hit as the government has stopped collecting and passing on union dues,