The Air Marshal Association/CWA is considering a class action lawsuit and preparing to file several grievances against the Transportation Security Administration, according to an email sent out to members last week and obtained by National Review. The AMA/CWA is an organization designed to provide legal assistance and representation to federal air marshals in workplace-related matters.
Specifically, the association appears concerned that some air marshals have been assigned to flights without receiving seat assignments. “Certain seats are selected to always keep us maintaining the tactical advantage – and we can NOT give that up,” the email states. “We should NOT need to beg and barter for seat assignments and in the process compromise our anomynity [sic]. TSA has the job of asking the airlines for specific seating (as per Public Law 107-71) for FAMs [federal air marshals] and if TSA doesn’t ask or TSA gets denied specific seating, there needs to be accountability.”
An Air Marshals Association member tells NR that the problem of air marshals losing certain seats is not new, and not limited to a single office. TSA spokesman David Castelveter declined to answer NR’s questions, saying only that “We don’t publicly discuss the mission of the federal air marshals.”