Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents check IDs and baggage for thousands of travelers every day at the San Diego International Airport. For now, local agents are still doing that job, despite the government shutdown.
“I’m disappointed they can't get their act together. It's very frustrating because we feel like we're pawns in this whole thing,” said Robert Mack, a lead TSA officer at the airport.
Mack is also chief steward for American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1260, a chapter of the union representing TSA workers. He’s worked at the airport for over 20 years and vividly remembers the last government shutdown. That one started just before Christmas 2018 and lasted 35 days.
“It was kind of rough, to tell you the truth. We went over a month without pay. People were having to make decisions they didn't want to make — whether putting gas in their car or food in their belly,” Mack said.
Right now, he said, “Morale is still pretty good. We’re coming into work, we’re working hard. We've actually got a lot of support from the passengers coming through, saying, ‘We appreciate you coming into work in this situation.’”
Melissa Uppgren flew into the San Diego airport Thursday from Minnesota with some friends. So far, she said her travel has been easy.
“It was remarkably normal,” Uppgren said. “We went through security without any issue. We took off on time. So from our perspective, people are still, gratefully, showing up for their jobs.”
She said she and her friends plan to get to the airport early Sunday for their flight home, hoping things will stay normal.
“Hard to say if it will. But today's experience was great,” Uppgren said.
Mack said this weekend TSA workers will get a final partial paycheck for hours worked until the shutdown. He doesn't know when the next one will come after that. Mack said many TSA agents live paycheck to paycheck.
“I want to say that they're going to stick it out. But those that don't, I totally understand. You have to take care of yourself and your family,” he said.
Mack said there are roughly 600 TSA officers who work at San Diego International Airport. For now, he said they are still at full staff. During past government shutdowns he said some officers stopped coming to work.
A TSA spokesperson said in a statement the organization has not “experienced any delay in operations due to callouts, and remains fully capable of facilitating safe and secure travel for passengers.”
They said an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports.
