Transportation Security Administration workers at Orlando International Airport are feeling a financial strain as the U.S. government shutdown drags on, with some turning to food pantries or family to make ends meet, according to union leaders.
TSA workers will miss their first full paycheck this weekend, forcing them to staff security checkpoints without pay while juggling rent, bills, childcare and car payments, said Candise Isla, executive vice president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 556.
“Many are stretching every dollar, relying on family support, or turning to local food drives and community assistance programs to get by,” said Isla, whose union represents about 1,300 employees at 11 airports in Central and North Florida.
TSA workers received a partial check earlier this month. The federal government has been shut down since Oct. 1 with Democrats and Republicans in Congress unable to reach a spending deal.
With no signs of an agreement, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority held a food drive this week for airport staff working without pay.
Orlando residents Steve and Jennifer Moss brought peanut butter, canned food and other items from Costco. Steve Moss said he appreciates the work TSA agents are doing keeping the country moving and ensuring the safety of his wife, a flight attendant.
“We felt they are doing a good job,” he said. “It is unfortunate about the circumstances happening there. … The reason this country is so great is the people.”
Left to Right, Jennifer and Steve Moss drop off donations to Yabel Jimenez, Nick Soto, and Zenobia Phipps (Jennifer Moss works for an airline at OIA) — Orlando International Airport employees volunteer on their day off to collect food donations to assist federal airport workers who are not being paid during the government shutdown, on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. They will be at the Terminal C Departures Curb accepting donations from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. until Friday. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
The prospect of a prolonged shutdown has sparked fears of travel chaos with the busy Thanksgiving holiday approaching and the financial toll growing for TSA workers, air traffic controllers and other federal airport employees.
“I can’t guarantee you that your flight’s going to be on time,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday at a Capitol Hill news conference. “I can’t guarantee that your flight’s not going to be canceled. It’s going to depend on our air traffic controllers coming in to work every single day.”
Orlando airport officials have not reported any significant travel disruptions because of the shutdown. Contingency plans are in place if there is a dramatic decrease in TSA agents processing passengers, according to a statement from the aviation authority.
Starting pay for a TSA security officer in Orlando is about $19 an hour, or roughly $39,500 a year, according to a December 2024 agency posting. That jumps to about $29 an hour, or roughly $60,000 annually, after two years.
Federal employees are legally prohibited from striking against the U.S. government. But during the 35-day shutdown in 2019, about 10% of TSA workers called in sick, triple the normal absentee rate. The prospect of travel gridlock ultimately put pressure on lawmakers to reach a funding deal to reopen the government.
Despite the financial challenges, TSA workers are committed to their jobs and will continue to show up to work, Isla said.
“Their dedication to maintaining the safety and security of the traveling public has not wavered,” she said.
Some travelers have tried to give food and other gifts directly to TSA workers, but such donations at security checkpoints aren’t allowed by agency policy, Isla said.
Instead, food can be dropped off at specific sites at two local airports.
The last day to donate is Friday. Nonperishable items and $10 gift cards from grocers like Publix, Walmart or Target will be accepted from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Orlando International Airport’s Terminal C departures lane or the Orlando Executive Airport’s administration offices, 365 Rickenbacker Drive.