TSA Workers Face Another Shutdown, Bringing Financial Hardship and Uncertainty
When the Department of Homeland Security ran out of funding early Saturday, employees at the Transportation Security Administration assumed an unfortunately familiar role: the face of the latest impasse in Congress. Lawmakers left town this past week without a deal to fund the department over a disagreement about reining in the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration enforcement tactics.
The Human Impact of Government Shutdowns on TSA Employees
Most of the hardships faced by employees — who are working without pay — will go unnoticed by the public with a few possible exceptions, including the people who check IDs, scan baggage and complete other security tasks at U.S. airports. Several previous government shutdowns ended when the TSA’s workforce began to buckle in a way that started to inconvenience travelers, a pressure point that could come in about two weeks from now when TSA employees will miss their first full paycheck.
A Cycle of Financial Strain for TSA Workers
It is an especially hard hit for TSA employees this time around, because many are just coming out of the financial strain they suffered during last year’s 43-day shutdown. Some were evicted from their homes, others could not afford gas to commute to and from the airport, and some could not afford medicine or day care for their children. And some are still bitter they did not receive a $10,000 bonus that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said would be awarded to those with “exemplary service” during the last shutdown.
Voices from the Frontline: TSA Employees Share Their Concerns
“Everybody’s really nervous,” said Roberto Echeverria, a lead transportation security officer at Salt Lake City International Airport. He said some of his colleagues had been preparing for this scenario for the past month, trying to pick up as much overtime as possible to have a cushion for when they missed their first full paycheck. Echeverria, a member of a local union chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees, said TSA employees in the Salt Lake region made a base pay ranging from $36,480 to $49,920 a year. Pay varies based on location.
A Breaking Point for Some TSA Employees
He said that he and many of his colleagues were asking themselves the same question: “How many more times am I going to be able to do this?” Even though they will eventually be paid back for the hours they worked, it is an extremely stressful situation, he said, adding that Salt Lake lost nearly 100 officers since the beginning of the last shutdown. For more information on the impact of government shutdowns on TSA workers, visit Here
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