Unpaid TSA workers are 'trying not to panic' as bills stack up

Rachel PremackJan 18, 2019, 01:11 IST

Jonathan Alcorn/Reuters

Employees of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have been forced to work without pay during the government shutdown, which started Dec. 22.
They're already not paid much - less than $20 on average - and they say working without pay puts stress on their already-significant budget constraints.
Many of them took to a LinkedIn discussion form on Monday to discuss what missing a paycheck has done to their finances and mental health.
We read their comments and included them below, with their permission.

On average, pay for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers was about $40,960 annually, or $19.69 per hour, as of May 2017, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Now, they're working without pay during the government shutdown. Many of them took to a LinkedIn discussion form on Monday to discuss what missing a paycheck has done to their finances and mental health.

We read their comments and included them below, with their permission. Nicole Johnson, a transportation security officer at TSA based in Georgia, told Business Insider more about her struggle as a new TSA employee, as she began working during the shutdown.

"I wasn't due to start until the beginning of January so I continued with my resignation from my previous job," Johnson told Business Insider. "I figured the shutdown would end soon. It didn't. I figured they would pay the checks out on the 11th. They didn't.

"I'm worried but trying not to panic."

Some answers have been lightly edited for clarity. Here's what they said:

See Unpaid TSA workers are 'trying not to panic' as bills stack up >>

Driving to an airport every day is costly.

"I don't currently live in the city I work in, so I pay a lot in gas for the two-hour commute. I just got this job on December 18, left my other job for it, only to not know when I'll be paid. It's very stressful for an already stressful job."

— Nicole Johnson, transportation security officer at TSA, Americus, Georgia

Some are signing up for food stamps.

"With the Super Bowl approaching, I predict a disaster if something is not done. Some of my coworkers are applying for food stamps and unemployment to survive."

— Femi Akinkugbe, transportation security support team member at TSA, Atlanta Area

Routine payments are a struggle to keep up with.

"I have to call my creditors that I wouldn't be able to pay my debt due to no paycheck."

— Femi Akinkugbe, transportation security support team member at TSA, Atlanta Area

"When you play with people's livelihood and make it hard for them to afford to provide for their families, it can distract from the mission."

— Tyler Ditmer, transportation security officer at TSA, Dayton, Ohio area

A twenty-something TSA worker claims he has been forced to take from his retirement fund.

"The inability of government officials has burdened the federal workforce. Never would I have imagined that in my 20's I'd have to borrow from my retirement."

— Dexter Gasery, transportation security officer at TSA, Houston, Texas area

Some say they feel demoralized.

"To be treated as pawns on a constant basis also serves to show why people distrust the federal government, and why it is hard to find quality workers across the board. When you fail to invest in a workforce that already it beaten by the general public everyday 24/7 it takes a toll and a person will take so much before they crack."

— Tyler Ditmer, transportation security officer at TSA, Dayton, Ohio area

Happily, the shutdown have brought out the good in some passengers.

"It has been stressful, but I'm amazed at the generosity of people in our Salt Lake City Airport community. Delta airlines has given us some food in our break rooms so we don't have to pay for lunches. The call outs are affecting the morale of the team, but many, including myself, put extra time so that the airport is still safe.

"How I look at it is that I made an oath to my country to defend and protect the Constitution and the traveling public so no matter the cost I will full fill my duty. I ask that people be kind and sensitive during this time."

— Transportation security officer at TSA, Salt Lake City, Utah area

"I'm hopeful, and I will continue to come to work as I and many of my fellow coworkers have been. Spirits from the passengers and workers in the airport have been great. Most passengers expressed their gratitude to us for continuing to work during this fiasco."