SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) — Right at the center of the airport chaos across the country are the TSA employees who have not been paid for the past 40 days, and it appears that issue will continue.
Congress has not been able to come up with an agreement regarding TSA funding that will pay employees nationwide.
But with a spring recess around the corner, workers may have to wait even longer before money starts coming in again.
“This is all just so unnecessary, especially happened twice in the last few months. It’s a very grim situation right now,” AFGE Local 1260’s Joseph Cerletti said.
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There’s a dark outlook for TSA workers across the nation and here in the Bay Area, after nearly 90 days without pay recently, due to two separate government shutdowns.
Cerletti represents TSA employees at the Oakland Airport with AFGE Local 1260.
He says hundreds of TSA employees nationwide have had to quit so they can take paying jobs, with no end to the loss of wages in sight.
“Congress is about to go into a recess on Monday, and it’s probably not going to happen on Friday, either,” Cerletti said. “It’s really, really not looking good. It’s indescribable. It’s terrible. People can’t afford to go to work. People can’t afford childcare. There’s no money.”
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“Like anybody else, when their budgets get squeezed, the first thing that falls by the wayside is the food because they don’t want to end up losing their place or losing their PG&E,” Bill Lee, executive director of Martha’s Kitchen in San Jose, said. “And so to help these guys get by, we’re providing meals.”
Lee’s team has been providing frozen meals to TSA employees at the San Jose and Monterey airports.
But he says helping these employees in addition to their regular clients stretches their resources.
“Yes, it is something we want to do because we don’t discriminate,” Lee said. “We take care of anyone. But obviously we have had limitations, and continue to have limitations in terms of how many people we can serve.”
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Martha’s Kitchen remains committed to serving their community, much like TSA employees.
Cerletti says he hopes a resolution is found soon. Despite not getting paid, he remains dedicated to TSA.
“We remain committed to protecting the Bay area skies and the nation’s skies,” Cerletti said. And we’re doing everything we can to continue our mission that we’ve been doing for nearly 25 years.”
The White House is looking into other ways to pay TSA employees, but it appears the clearest path would be to fund the Department of Homeland Security.
Lawmakers have one more chance to do that Friday before their two weeks off.
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