Transportation Security Administration employees are officially working without pay — leading some to quit and others to call out of work, affecting travelers.
TSA Workers Quitting
The partial government shutdown began a month ago with a pause in funding for the Department of Homeland Security, leading to the temporary suspension of Global Entry and TSA PreCheck. This week marks the first that TSA workers went without a full paycheck.
The DHS says over 300 TSA agents have quit. This follows approximately 1,110 officers “separating” from the TSA during the government shutdown last fall.
CBS News says that call outs have jumped from 2% before the funding lapse to 6% during the shutdown.
CEOs of major airlines like American, Delta, Southwest, and JetBlue, as well as UPS and FedEx, shared an open letter to Congress on Sunday encouraging a bipartisan solution to restore DHS funding. They urged Congress to pass acts that would ensure air traffic controllers and TSA agents are paid regardless of the government’s funding status.
“It’s difficult, if not impossible, to put food on the table, put gas in the car and pay rent when you are not getting paid,” the letter states.
CNN interviewed TSA employees who say they are not getting as much support as they did during the last shutdown.
“(The resources) we had in the fall are not available today,” said George Borek, a TSA officer at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Various airports are requesting donations of groceries and other supplies with drop-off boxes. The Orlando International Airport (MCO) is hosting a food drive. They are accepting:
Nonperishable food items
Cleaning and laundry supplies
Diapers (all sizes)
Pet supplies
$10 gift cards for gas or grocery stores
Travelers can make donations at Information booths on the Departures level, the Terminal C Departures Curb from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the weekends, and at the Orlando Executive Airport from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Airports are also encouraging travelers to arrive early for flights as security wait times can be hours long due to the shortage of workers. MCO is experiencing their busiest spring break ever.
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