Airport workers struggle amid shutdown

Philadelphia Airport TSA And Airport Workers Rally Against Gov't Shutdown Amid Large Air Traffic Delay Across Northeast — Source: Mark Makela / Getty

Morale is low right now for Philadelphia International Airport workers as they face missing their first full paycheck of the federal government shutdown, said Joe Shuker, Region 7 vice president for AFGE Council 100, the union representing Philly’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers.

How low? “On a scale of 1 to 10, we’re a negative-2 right now,” he said.

The last paycheck that airport workers received reflected the start of the shutdown and was several hundred dollars short, Shuker said. And this Tuesday is the first full paycheck that workers will not receive. The lack of pay is going to stress out TSA workers who are already working high-stakes jobs.

“You got us down here checking for bombs,” he said. “And you got the air traffic controllers trying to keep the sky safe. You’ve got two high-stress jobs, and you’re adding more stress by not paying us.”

Future complications

The shutdown began Oct. 1 after Democrats and Republicans failed to agree on legislation to keep the government funded. Shuker said airport workers will continue hurting without a solution to open up the federal government. Many TSA workers and air traffic controllers live paycheck to paycheck, and are struggling to cover basic costs. (They will receive back pay when the impasse is resolved.)

“They’re going to be distracted at some point,” he said. “They’re going to be worried about how they’re going to feed their kid, and how they’re getting to work tomorrow.”

He said some workers may not be able to cover childcare costs without subsequent paychecks. Additionally, he said he has spoken to employees who are struggling to cover the price of gas or tolls to travel to work.

Also, the TSA is requiring specific documentation for workers to call out – which can include a doctor’s note and payment.

“TSA is telling us now that if anybody calls out, they have to bring in a doctor’s note,” he said. “So, you’re basically going to have to call out sick and get a doctor’s note to be approved. But to go to the doctors, you need to pay a $40 copay.”

He recounted one story where a TSA employee was told her inability to cover childcare and gas costs was not an acceptable excuse for not showing up to work.

Previous shutdowns have shown consequences for air travel the longer they last. During the last government shutdown in 2018, nearly 10% of TSA workers called in sick during the 34-day period, increasing screening times and disrupting flight schedules.

Shuker said it is likely that security wait times and the possibility of travel complications could go up as the shutdown continues. For right now, he explained, it is the unpaid, federal government employees who are hurting the most.

“Our guys are going to come to work until they can’t, that’s what we do,” he said. “They go in every day, but if they can’t get to work, if they can’t afford gas, if they can’t afford the toll, if they can’t pay the child care, they’re going to have to stay home with their kids. And that’s going to be a tipping point.”

Air traffic controllers are also not getting paid.

In a statement at the time of the shutdown, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association called on the government to “end the shutdown as soon as possible,” saying shutdowns “reduce the safety and efficiency” of flights. They cited “critical safety and technology work” that will not be performed by furloughed workers and the “increased stress and fatigue” workers will face during this time.

NATCA union officials from the Philadelphia chapter, which oversees the Philadelphia International Airport, did not respond for a request to comment by the time of publication.

In response to the shutdown, the Department of Aviation has opened a food pantry for airport staff affected by the shutdown. Even so, Shuker said, airport employees have struggled to get to the food pantry when it’s open, as they are oftentimes working until it has closed.

In past shutdowns, the Philadelphia-based food bank Philabundance created a food bank for airport employees who were unable to make the airport’s food bank hours. Shuker said he is hopeful for a resource like this during this shutdown.

There are ongoing efforts to waive tolls for airport employees traveling out of New Jersey and to have SEPTA waive fees for employees in uniform. Shuker said SEPTA agreed to a similar deal during the last government shutdown.

“I’m trying to get our guys who were in Jersey free tolls if they’re in uniform,” he said. “Because that’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 people are in uniform and have their badge, they could get on free, and there wouldn’t be a charge.’ They waived that.”

The federal government does not appear to be any closer to reaching a compromise that would end the shutdown. Healthcare issues have been the point of impasse.

Democrats are pushing for the extension of Affordable Care Act credits. They argue these tax credits keep healthcare more affordable.

Many Republicans disagree, with some claiming Democrats want to provide tax dollars to help pay for the healthcare of undocumented immigrants. Republicans attempted to pass a short-term spending bill to keep the government open that would exclude the extension of Affordable Care Act credits, but this did not pass.

The government will stay shut down until both parties come to a solution.

Airport workers struggle amid shutdown was originally published on billypenn.com

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Airport workers struggle amid shutdown was originally published on rnbphilly.com