Airport bottlenecks in US ease as TSA workers get paid, but shutdown continues

Frustrating security lines dwindled at United States airports Monday, clearing the worst bottlenecks as Transportation Safety Administration officers began receiving backpay for working during the government shutdown.

Checkpoint lines that at times stretched to four hours at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport shrank to waits of 10 minutes or less on Monday.

In other previous trouble spots such as Atlanta and Baltimore-Washington International Airport, travellers were moving smoothly to their flights.

After weeks of airport chaos, there was finally optimism for the beleaguered aviation system.

Weary travellers hope the overdue pay cheques will end the seemingly endless security lines and missed flights many experienced.

It remains unknown how long federal immigration officers will maintain a visible presence in airport terminals as the busy spring break travel season continues.

TSA workers told union leadership Monday that they received some — but not all — of their back pay, according to Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of the TSA chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees.

He said the rest is expected by next week.

Some employees also reported incorrect backpay amounts, including missing overtime, the union said.

Jones, who is also a TSA agent at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, said one colleague told him his bank account was already “back to zero” after covering his car and housing payments and late fees. Workers, he said, are relieved the money has arrived but worry it will disappear as quickly as it came.

“None of my colleagues feel like they’ve been made whole,” Jones said.

“Their finances are destroyed.”

The union said the TSA updated its furlough policy on Sunday, removing guidance that allowed officers to request a furlough if they could not report to work for reasons tied to the shutdown, such as lack of transportation or child care.

“Working without pay forced more than 500 officers to leave TSA and thousands were forced to call out,” acting TSA Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in announcing the delayed payday.

The union agreed with these numbers, but said those who could not afford to report for duty now “have disciplinary actions looming over their heads.”

“Backpay alone does not fix those problems,” the union said.

The AP emailed TSA and DHS seeking comment and additional details on the agency’s furlough guidance.

The DHS shutdown resulted in not only travel delays but also warnings of airport closures as TSA workers who were only just recovering financially from last fall’s extended government shutdown stopped going to work. TSA employees had gone without pay since DHS funding lapsed in February.

Other agencies affected by this latest shutdown include the Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

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