SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — From San Jose to Oakland, long security lines were showing no signs of easing at airports as TSA agents went without regular paychecks amid the partial government shutdown.
“I have three kids, a wife, a pet who depend on me to go to work,” said Joseph Cerletti, a TSA agent at Oakland’s airport, noting his last paycheck was only a few hundred dollars.
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“This the kids don’t really understand it. And it’s, it’s a very tough conversation to have with, with, freshman in high school with a fifth grader, luckily, the four-year-old doesn’t really understand what’s going on.”
But at San Francisco International Airport, it’s a much different story, where security officers work for a private company.
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“San Francisco is the poster child for privatization when it comes to airport security,” said Sheldon Jacobson.
SFO is the largest of 20 airports nationwide participating in a federal program that allows private contractors to handle passenger screening under TSA oversight.
“It’s not like these people are free-wheeling and doing what they want to do. They have to meet the same standards. If they don’t, they will lose their contract,” said Sheldon.
The TSA was formed in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks as a way to strengthen transportation security.
“The big reason why we joined this program back in 2002-2003 was we thought, okay, this is going to get reprivatized eventually, we might as well be ahead of the curve here and just jump into this screening partnership program,” said Doug Yakel, Public Information Officer, San Francisco International Airport.
However, the union representing TSA officers has long opposed privatization.
“As passenger, I would be so much happier to know that these TSA officers are career dedicated civil servants to have nothing else to do but to make sure that I get to where I’m supposed to be safely,” said Johnny Jones, AFGE Secretary Treasurer.
Meanwhile, there are also efforts underway urging Congress to pass legislation to ensure aviation workers are paid during government shutdowns.
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