Mickey Alston offered a reminder Tuesday for people who may have overlooked the starting point of the partial U.S. Government shutdown, which has led to no paychecks for federal security screeners at airports since last month.
It started on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, said Alston, a leader with America Federation of Government Employees Local 558, “but no one showed me the love.”
At a sun-baked cellphone waiting area outside Palm Beach International Airport on Tuesday, Alston, a 23-year veteran of the Transportation Security Administration, appeared alongside U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach, to urge Congress to finally pass legislation that would replenish the agency’s funding and resume the flow of workers’ paychecks.
“They are the ones keeping us safe on the airplanes, and they’re not getting paid, and this is not acceptable,” Frankel told reporters.
She said a House bill that would restart worker paychecks should be voted upon while leaving reforms of Immigration and Customs Enforcement policies for a later debate.
No pay, some resignations
Alston, a Wellington resident, described the pressures of working in government service — for free.
“We are still coming to work, not getting paid,” she said. “Some of us come from as far as Port St. Lucie, some of us as far as Fort Lauderdale, and we still are coming to work, showing up every day. It’s been hard.”
She said her fiance is providing the sole paycheck for a household that includes six children.
Alston acknowledged to reporters that some of her airport co-workers have resigned to take paying jobs. But she did not know how many. The union represents an estimated 300 TSA workers at Palm Beach International.
“We have had a few [quit] at our airport in Palm Beach because they need to find other means” of support, she said.
A TSA agent surveys a crowd at a security checkpoint at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Lawmakers are now reportedly scrambling to pass a bill that will restore paychecks for airport security officers. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
After Frankel’s appearance in West Palm Beach, her Washington office issued a statement that noted a House Democratic measure would fund major Department of Homeland Security operations, including the following agencies:
Transportation Security Administration — restoring full pay for frontline officers responsible for passenger and baggage screening at airports nationwide.
U.S. Coast Guard — maintaining maritime safety, security, and search and rescue operations.
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency — protecting critical infrastructure and cybersecurity systems.
Federal Emergency Management Agency — ensuring disaster preparedness and response capabilities.
U.S. Secret Service — continuing protective and investigative missions.
The legislation does not include funding for ICE or Customs and Border Protection. The omission would allow time for Congress “to negotiate needed reforms,” the statement said.
“Let’s be clear: This is about paying the people who protect us every single day,” Frankel said. “TSA officers are on the front lines of our aviation security system. They should not be worrying about how to pay rent or buy groceries while doing their jobs.”
Earlier in the day, The Associated Press reported that U.S. Senate members were developing a measure to end the Homeland Security shutdown by funding multiple agencies overseen by the department, including the TSA, but excluding ICE enforcement operations that have been core to the dispute.
The movement came as major airports including those in Florida continued to endure long security lines during the busy spring leisure travel season. According to Homeland Security, nearly 11% of its TSA workers — more than 3,200 — missed work Monday. At least 458 have resigned since the shutdown started.
No heads up on ICE deployments
On Tuesday, Frankel said the Trump Administration had not communicated to Congress how the government selected more than a dozen airports nationally for the stationing of ICE agents to assist TSA screeners.
Only one airport in Florida — Southwest Florida International Airport, which serves the Fort Myers area — has been the scene of ICE agents on patrol. No agents have been deployed at South Florida’s three major international airports in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.
Asked if the Department of Homeland Security had briefed lawmakers on its airport plans involving ICE, Frankel replied: “That would be news to me. The president’s announcement surprised everyone, even in the Department of Homeland Security.”
Still, the congresswoman voiced hope that a resolution of the TSA funding crisis could be reached by week’s end.
“I’m somewhat optimistic we will come to some kind of an agreement this week,” she told the South Florida Sun Sentinel after the West Palm Beach briefing. “I’m sure there are negotiations going on.”