Employee morale at Philadelphia International Airport is currently low as they face losing their first full paycheck amid the federal government shutdown, said Joe Shuker, vice president of Region 7 on AFGE Council 100, the union representing Philadelphia’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers.
How low? “On a scale of 1 to 10, our rating is currently minus 2,” he said.
Shuker said the last paycheck airport workers received reflected the beginning of the shutdown and was several hundred dollars low. And Tuesday is the first full paycheck that workers won’t receive. The lack of pay will stress TSA workers who already perform high-stakes work.
“You brought us here to check for bombs,” he said. “And you have air traffic controllers trying to protect the skies. You have two stressful jobs, and by not paying us, you’re adding to the stress.”
Future complications
The shutdown began Oct. 1 after Democrats and Republicans failed to reach an agreement on legislation to fund the government. Without a solution for the federal government to open up, airport workers will continue to suffer, Shuker said. Many TSA workers and air traffic controllers live paycheck to paycheck and struggle to cover basic costs. (They will receive back pay once the impasse is resolved.)
“At some point they will be dispersed,” he said. “They will worry about how they will feed their baby and how they will get to work tomorrow.”
He said some workers may not be able to cover child care costs without more paychecks. Additionally, he said he has spoken to employees who are struggling to cover fuel costs or commuting fees.
Additionally, TSA requires certain documentation from employees, which may include a doctor’s note and payment.
“The TSA is now telling us that if someone comes in, they have to bring a medical certificate,” he said. “So basically you’ll have to call in sick and get your sick leave approved. But to see a doctor, you have to pay an additional $40 fee.”
He cited one story in which a TSA employee was told that an inability to cover childcare and gas costs was not an acceptable excuse for not showing up for work.
Previous shutdowns had consequences for air travel the longer they lasted. While the last government shutdown in 2018nearly 10% of TSA employees called in unwell within 34 days, extending screening times and disrupting flight schedules.
Shuker said it is likely that as the suspension continues, security wait times and the potential for travel complications could augment. Right now, he explained, it’s unpaid federal government employees who are suffering the most.
“Our people will come to work until they can’t, and that’s what we’re doing,” he said. (*1*)
Air traffic controllers also do not get paid.
In a statement issued at the time of the suspension, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association called on the government to “end the shutdown as soon as possible,” saying the downtime “reduces the safety and efficiency” of flights. They cited “key safety and technology work” that furloughed workers will not perform, and the “increased stress and fatigue” workers will face during this time.
NATCA union officials at the Philadelphia chapter, which oversees Philadelphia International Airport, did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
In response to the outage, the Department of Aviation opened a pantry for airport personnel affected by the outage. Still, Shuker said, it’s tough for airport workers to get to the open pantry because they often work until it closes.
During previous shutdowns, Philadelphia-based food bank Philabundance established a food bank for airport workers who were unable to report to the airport food bank’s operating hours. Shuker said he hopes to obtain such resources during the shutdown.
Efforts are underway to waive tolls for airport workers leaving New Jersey and for SEPTA to waive tolls for uniformed workers. Shuker said SEPTA agreed to a similar deal during the last government shutdown.
“I’m trying to give our guys who were in Jersey free rides if they’re in uniform,” he said. “Because it’s six bucks a day. That’s your gas for the week. We’re also trying to get SEPTA. Last time SEPTA said, ‘If your guys are in uniform and have badges, they could get on for free and there would be no fees.’ They gave up on it.”
Federal government it doesn’t seem We are getting closer to reaching a compromise that would end business closures. The point of impasse was health care issues.
Democrats are pushing to extend Affordable Care Act credits. They claim these tax breaks will make health care more affordable.
Many Republicans disagree, and some say Democrats want to funnel tax dollars to lend a hand pay for health care for undocumented immigrants. Republicans tried to pass a short-term spending bill to keep the government open that would have barred extensions of Affordable Care Act loans, but that didn’t pass.
The government will remain closed until both sides find a solution.
