Unpaid TSA and Air-Traffic Staff Struggle as U.S. Government Shutdown Enters Third Week

As the U.S. government shutdown stretches into its third week, around 60,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers and air-traffic controllers remain unpaid, raising fears of growing financial distress among those responsible for keeping the nation’s skies safe. Many employees have already begun dipping into savings, relying on credit cards, or taking up part-time work with ride-hailing and food delivery services to stay afloat. The workers last received paychecks in mid-October, which were already reduced by up to two days’ pay.

Union representatives warn that the situation is worsening. Neal Gosman, treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 899 in Minnesota, said some TSA officers received only a fraction of their usual wages, with one colleague earning as little as $6.34. Airports are once again setting up food donation shelves and meal programs to support federal employees, as seen during the 2018–19 shutdown. Meanwhile, some workers, like a TSA officer in Dallas-Fort Worth, are resorting to personal loans just to cover basic living expenses.

The growing financial strain has reignited memories of the 35-day shutdown in 2019, when mass absences among TSA and air-traffic staff disrupted air travel nationwide. With no clear funding deal in sight, tensions are rising between lawmakers as Democrats push for expanded healthcare subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, while Republicans seek a clean funding bill. “I’m just disappointed that there’s no true negotiations going on,” said a TSA officer in Ohio, describing the standoff as “political chess” being played with workers’ livelihoods.

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