SALT LAKE CITY — On the third floor of the Salt Lake City International Airport is a food pantry just for TSA staff. It has become more crucial for those employees as they continue working without pay throughout the government shutdown.
In airports across the country, lines of passengers trail well past the security checkpoints. Some places have seen lines trail outside the airport. At Salt Lake City Int'l, it’s busy, but the travelers were steadily moving through the security line on Thursday morning.
The government has been partially shut down since Feb. 14, when Congress failed to pass funding legislation for the Department of Homeland Security. That move directly affected TSA funding. Republicans and Democrats have been unable or unwilling to agree on a funding bill because of disagreements over immigration enforcement.
With TSA workers left without pay for over a month, security wait times have increased as many have called out or quit.
Tanja Fowler, the AFGE Utah Regional Vice President, said it’s been hard on TSA staff.
“Friday will be five weeks with no pay,” she said. “They’re sad, and they’re angry.”
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Fowler added that at in Salt Lake City, there’s a work ethic at the airport that keeps TSA staff coming back to work each day, and there's community support in the form of a food pantry.
“At Salt Lake City, there are some special TSO’s over there,” she said. “Our TSA agents are very dedicated to their jobs and dedicated to each other.
“They are grateful for all of that and for everyone who puts that together."
Patience is vital for passengers braving long security lines as they navigate this latest government shutdown.
“At the end of the day, they’re human,” said Fowler. “They’re going to work and should be receiving a paycheck.”
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Fowler said she and the union team are working to help their fellow agents, but they also urge the public to reach out to their representatives in Congress.
“Contact them in Washington and tell them enough is enough,” she said. “And let’s get everyone in DHS paid.”
The airport encourages people to donate to the food pantry either by dropping off non-perishable food items in the bin at the Level 2 information desk inside the airport or at the Touch N’ Go gas station located in the Park & Wait Lot at the airport.
If you’d like to donate gas gift cards, you can drop those off at the administrative offices behind the Southwest check-in counters during business hours.
