1 of 2 | Boxes of nonperishable food items are set out as part of a food and essentials pantry established at Salt Lake City International Airport on March 2. The airport is one of at least 11 around the country responding to the plight of Transportation Security Administration screeners working without paychecks during the partial government shutdown. Photo by Salt Lake City International Airport/Facebook
The flying public is helping to supply basic needs for struggling federal security screeners working without pay by donating to airport-based food pantries as the partial government shutdown drags on, local officials say.
Airport authorities have established food shelves and other kinds of charitable programs in at least 11 U.S. cities as TSA workers missed their first paychecks on Saturday because of the shutdown.
Airports contacted by UPI said activity was brisk at their food pantry sites over the last several days, with hundreds of unpaid federal workers seeking food and other supplies amid the debate in Congress over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the TSA.
In Florida, more than 160 federal employees received food and other basic necessities during the first week of a food pantry operation at Orlando International Airport. Officials there sought more donations this week to answer the continuing need.
In Cleveland, airport leaders said their food shelf has been “well-utilized,” as dozens of workers claimed essential items and gift cards that had been donated.
And in Las Vegas, officials at Harry Reid International Airport said the needs of the unpaid federal workers have been so great that supplies became limited and more donations sought.
More donations needed
Harry Reid is one of several airports that issued calls to passengers and other members of the public for more donations to replenish pantries as the partisan battle over the lapse of DHS funding, first begun in mid-February, spills over into a second month.
In some parts of the country, some TSA agents have created GoFundMe pages to help support their families, and in Omaha, a Nebraska man is using GoFundMe to raise donations so he can buy meals that he delivers once a week to TSA employees at Eppley Airfield.
“I feel this is something that is the minimum that we could do or should do,” he told KMTV-Ch. 10 in Omaha.
“I just wish that folks would actually not be put into a position where their livelihoods are actually called into question any time that there is any kind of disagreement at a government level,” Scofield said.
In Atlanta, Mayor Andre Dickens on Wednesday announced a series of support measures for TSA workers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, including two meal vouchers per shift, free parking and free rides on public transportation.
“TSA officers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport continue to show up every day to protect millions of travelers, even as they face uncertainty at home,” Dickens said in a statement.
“We are deeply grateful for their professionalism and sacrifice, and we will continue doing everything we can locally to support them while urging a swift resolution to the shutdown.”
While the Trump administration says nearly 95% of TSA employees remain on duty, the partial shutdown has led to long lines at airports screening checkpoints and advice that travelers arrive at the airports even earlier than usual.
Officers struggling
The missed paychecks have had “an immediate impact on airport travelers, as many transportation security officers are struggling to afford to make it to work while not being paid,” the union representing TSA workers said in a statement issued Monday. “News outlets have reported on long lines at many airports due to TSO absences — and it’s likely to get worse unless Congress intervenes.”
All workers at TSA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Coast Guard and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, as well as some employees at Customs and Border Protection, are working without paychecks for the third time since October due to the lapse in federal funding.
Senate Democrats and some Republicans are refusing to back an appropriations bill for the DHS, citing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown until guardrails are put in place for enforcement efforts, including unmasking agents and establishing limits on certain controversial apprehension tactics.
The month-long standoff is worrying the airline industry. Last week, Airlines for America, a trade association for passenger and cargo airlines, sent an open letter to Congress asking it to fund the DHS to restore TSA workers’ pay as soon as possible.
Likewise, a group representing airport managers, the American Association of Airport Executives, called for an end to the shutdown.
The association “urges an immediate end to the DHS shutdown,” association President and CEO Todd Hauptli said in a statement issued to UPI. “Funding must be restored as soon as possible to ensure that TSA screeners and other key personnel are paid for the critical work they do every day.”
Absences increase
The association and Airports Council International-North America on Tuesday “implored” congressional leaders to end the funding impasse for DHS, saying in a letter that since missing a full paycheck on Saturday, unexcused absences of TSA officers “have tripled to a nationwide average above 10%, with several airports experiencing call-out rates above 50%,” leading to lengthy wait times.
“TSA employees work hard. They have families and bills to pay. They are being forced in some cases to find second jobs or rely on donations to buy groceries or gas or meet basic needs,” the groups said.
“Our airport members nationwide have been providing assistance to TSA employees with food pantries, diaper banks, gas cards, and other needed items at our facilities, just like we did during previous prolonged shutdowns.
“Federal employees deserve better; Congress needs to end the funding impasse now.”
Airport officials say struggling workers have been lining up at food pantries established in at least 11 airports across the country, including Denver, Seattle, Las Vegas, Reno, Nev., Cleveland, Orlando, New York/New Jersey, Baltimore/Washington, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Salt Lake City and Boise, Idaho.
In Florida, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and its community partner, Second Harvest, are distributing food for a second week and are calling out for more donations, aviation authority spokesperson Angela Starke said.
“We are hoping for a more robust response this week from our local community,” she said, adding, “the [TSA] agents should be commended for their dedication to keeping staffing levels normal. The airport has not seen dramatic decreases in the number of TSA agents processing passengers.”
Variety of supplies
The Orlando airport drive is collecting nonperishable food items, cleaning and laundry supplies, diapers of all sizes, pet supplies and $10 gift cards for gas or grocery stores as TSA workers tell Second Harvest of “the challenges they face just to get to work each day, including rising gas prices, uncertainty about keeping up with bills, and concerns about childcare and healthcare costs.”
TSA employees have avidly used the food pantry in Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, where officials say they are seeking to assist federal employees “who are currently working without pay, providing access to household essentials and food for themselves and their families.”
“It’s been incredible to see the outpouring of support for our TSA staff here in Cleveland,” airport spokesperson Michele Dynia said. “The pantry has been well-utilized since reopening on March 4, and our federal partners have received a wide variety of donated items along with more than 100 gift cards from our generous community.
“Donations continue to come in, and the pantry will remain open for our team until the shutdown comes to an end,” she said.
Similarly at Harry Reid International Airport, unpaid TSA workers have been flocking to a food and essentials pantry that was reopened March 9 after an initial set-up in October during the 43-day government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history.
The demand in Las Vegas is so high that more donations are needed, airport public Information administrator Luke Nimmo told UPI.
Supplies limited
“Our pantry is open and our supplies are limited right now,” he said. “We put a call out for donations and expressed the critical need so we can continue to support the federal workers that keep Harry Reid International Airport safe and running smoothly.”
Nimmo said distribution of items is based on available inventory and while supplies last, but the pantry will remain open to accept donations. Companies and organizations interested in contributing to the pantry can coordinate drop-offs through the Airport Control Center at 702-261-7157.
And in nearby Reno, Nev., the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority has partnered with local nonprofit the Children’s Cabinet to deliver aid to struggling TSA workers and their families.
“We know that when workers go without a paycheck, periods of uncertainty can take a real toll, and the added stress of food insecurity can be especially overwhelming,” Children’s Cabinet spokesman Matt DeBray told UPI.
“We understand how critical it is for families to have reliable access to basic needs,” he said. “Every child deserves stability, and no parent should have to worry about how they will put food on the table.
“As part of the Reno-Sparks community, we are committed to supporting individuals and families in meaningful ways, helping ensure they have the resources they need so they can focus on caring for their children.”
