Doyinsola Oladipo and David Shepardson
(Reuters) – The 60,000 men and women responsible for keeping America’s skies safe have been without pay throughout the government shutdown. Without a funding deal soon, many will be forced to dip into savings, pile up credit card debt or work part-time to make ends meet, several federal employees said.
The shutdown is now three weeks into the shutdown and is fast approaching when tens of thousands of government workers who guard security lines and keep air traffic safe will miss their full paychecks. Those workers last received paychecks in mid-October, and those checks were missing up to two days’ pay.
“People say, ‘When I get off work, I’m going to Uber or DoorDash or Lyft or something like that because I need to put food on the table and I’ve got a kid at home,'” said Neal Gosman, treasurer of Local 899 of the American Federation of Government Employees in Minnesota, the union that represents the Transportation Security Administration.
Gosman, who also works part-time as a transportation security officer in addition to his union duties, said he received about 60% of the TSA’s regular pay during his last paycheck, but a co-worker only received $6.34.
Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said Monday that controllers will receive pay stubs on Thursday, indicating they will not be paid next week, leaving many with a very difficult choice.
“How do I call my employer and tell them I can’t afford childcare? I have two kids. What do you want me to do?” Daniels talked about controllers struggling to get by without salaries.
The authority that governs the Minneapolis St. According to spokesman John Welbes, Paul International Airport plans to install a shelf to provide non-perishable food items to federal employees, as it did during the 2018-19 season. government shutdown. If the closure lasts until November, the authority is considering offering box lunches.
However, this will not be enough. A TSA officer at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, who asked to be identified only as M., said he would take out a $3,000 loan to cover his expenses.
“The loan will be for car payments and a new apartment because I can’t afford the current one because of everything that’s going on,” said Mr., who did not want his full name used because he worries about being fired for speaking out.
During the 35-day suspension in 2019, absenteeism among air traffic controllers and TSA officers increased as workers went unpaid, adding to passenger wait times at airport checkpoints. Authorities were forced to slow air traffic in New York, prompting lawmakers to quickly end the standoff.
On the 31st day of that shutdown, 10% of TSA workers called in sick, triple the normal absenteeism rate.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation shared information on how to donate food, clothing or other items to more than 50,000 TSA officers nationwide, who make an average of $40,000 a year. The guidelines state that donations of donuts, pizza and coffee are fine, but not cash, and that people should never donate at a checkpoint.
US President Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans hold majorities in both houses of Congress, but need at least seven Democratic votes to pass the funding bill in the Senate. Democrats want to continue and expand health care subsidies for people who buy insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Another vote on the government spending bill is expected on Thursday.
“I’m more disappointed that there’s no real negotiation,” said another TSA official in Dayton, Ohio, adding that he doesn’t understand why Congress is playing “political chess” with his pay.
(Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo in New York and David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Chris Sanders and Matthew Lewis)