Across Pennsylvania, airports, organizations, and businesses are organizing donation drives to help TSA staff who have spent nearly half of the past 175 days with their paychecks held up by government shutdowns.
With so much media bandwidth devoted to the long lines, delays, and confusion at US airports during the current partial government shutdown, it’s easy to miss what’s happening behind the scenes: Tens of thousands Transportation Security Administration officers are still showing up to work—without pay.
These airport screeners, considered essential workers, don’t have the option to stay home. And for many, this isn’t new. Over the past 175 days, TSA officers have spent nearly half that time with their paychecks held up by politics—including 43 days last fall during the longest government shutdown in history, four days earlier this year during a brief funding lapse, and now 40 days and counting during the current shutdown.
Senators are trying to salvage a proposal to reopen the Department of Homeland Security by funding much of the department, including the TSA airport workers going without pay, but excluding immigration operations that have been core to the dispute.
It’s not like TSA employees were making a mint before the shutdown.
The starting pay for agents is about $34,500, and the average salary is $46,000 to $55,000, according to the agency’s careers website.
As the shutdown drags on, more TSA officers are taking time off to earn money on the side.
Nearly 11% of workers who were scheduled to report for duty Monday—more than 3,200—missed work, and at least 458 have quit altogether since the shutdown began, according to DHS, exacerbating staff turnover at an agency that historically has had some of the US government’s highest attrition and lowest employee morale.
Across Pennsylvania, airports, organizations, and businesses are doing what they can to help TSA staff working without pay during the shutdown.
Here are details about how you can help. (Note that TSA workers cannot accept cash donations.)
- Lehigh Valley International Airport held a donation drive last week that they described as an overwhelming success. They expect to hold another drive if the shutdown continues.
- A donation drive is underway for TSA workers at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. Organizers are accepting non-perishable items, along with gift cards for gas and groceries under $25.00. Find information on how to donate here.
- Similar items are also being collected for TSA employees at Lancaster Airport. Get more details here.
- David Krappa, the owner of the Avenue Restaurant in Wyoming, Luzerne County, donated gift cards to each TSA employee at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. The Avenue is continuing to accept donations on behalf of TSA workers at the airport.
- The union that represents TSA workers, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE),also has a running list of airports that have announced donation drives.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
