As the partial shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been over a month, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees continue to work without being paid. As news spread through social networking services (SNS) that “employees are not even able to afford gas,” airports across the country began accepting donations of food and baby products for them, and CEOs of the airline industry have also urged Congress to lift the shutdown.
According to CNN and ABC News, the DHS shutdown has continued for a month, causing chaos at the airport while the U.S. Congress has failed to narrow differences over the Donald Trump administration’s immigration control policy. About 50,000 TSA employees were not paid in March.
According to CNN, more than 300 TSA employees have quit their jobs since the shutdown, and the absence rate of on-site employees has soared to 6 percent at some airports. Before the shutdown, the absence rate was around 2 percent.
“The massive resignation is not surprising,” said Everett Kelly, president of the American Civil Service Federation. “Most Americans will quit their jobs if they don’t get paid on paydays.”
He pointed out, “It is virtually impossible to put food on the table, add fuel to the car, and pay monthly rent in a situation where you are not receiving a salary.”
TSA personnel are essential personnel who perform national security, public safety, and constitutional functions, so they must continue their work even if they are not paid. Delinquent salaries are paid retroactively after the shutdown is resolved.
As the situation became more serious, some airports began to support unpaid workers. Denver International Airport, Seattle-Tercoma International Airport, and Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport receive donations of food, gas station gift cards, food for long-term storage, hygiene products, and baby products.
The airline industry has also voiced its concerns over the protracted delay in security screening. According to the Associated Press, CEOs of major airlines such as American, Delta, Southwest, and JetBlue and cargo airlines such as UPS, FedEx, and Atlas Air posted an open letter to Congress the day before and urged the shutdown to be lifted.
CEOs of U.S. airlines submitted a letter to Congress asking Congress to end the shutdown on the previous day. “TSA employees received a zero dollar salary statement. This is unacceptable,” they said in a letter. “The Congressional leadership should immediately agree on the Department of Homeland Security budget support.”
“There are reports that airport waiting times even last four hours,” he said. “The American people are tired of long queues, travel delays, and flight cancellations at airports due to successive shutdowns.”
SAM KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
