TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Just more than a month into the partial government shutdown, TSA officers missed their first full paycheck, but are still required to come to work.
Chris Finlay is the local union president for the American Federation of Government Employees and his chapter represents TSA workers in Central and North Florida.
“It makes me angry that we’re in this position again,” Finlay said.
Tuesday, Finlay and another union member came to the Tallahassee International Airport to give out food, diapers, formula, and other essentials to employees who needed them.
“That’s only going to help for so long,” Finlay said. “Eventually, people are just going to run out of money. They’re not going to have money for gas and then they’re not going to be able to get to work.”
Finlay said he spoke with several TSA officers who received $50 from a partial paycheck at the end of February. “Full-time employee working for the federal government, 50 bucks on that paycheck,” he said. “And, we just missed an entire paycheck this last weekend.”
Many TSA officers are struggling to pay bills, while some are facing eviction, according to Finlay. “I have three officers that I know who were told ‘If you don’t pay us by the middle of the month, which is the 15th, we’re going to start the eviction process,’” Finlay said. “These are full-time, federal employees who are facing evictions and can’t put food on their table because they can’t fund our agency.”
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With the rise in gas prices, Finlay said that it is also making it harder for struggling workers to show up. “On top of not getting paid, gas has gone up,” he said.
Finlay said TSA gave officers a letter for creditors, lenders, and landlords to verify they are not being paid right now. However, Finlay said companies and property managers are not obligated to consider that letter.
He also pointed out that many TSA officers are trying to work while facing real-world challenges that can make it more difficult to do their job.
“That is a harder task to accomplish, staying totally focused, when in the back of your head, like I said, you’re worried about, ‘I have an eviction notice. My water got shut off. I don’t have food to feed my kids.’ These are bare essentials,” Finlay said.
For now, Finlay said they will continue supporting TSA officers as much as possible, with hopes the partial shutdown will soon end. “I don’t know how this is acceptable to anyone,” he said.
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