SALT LAKE CITY — After weeks of partial pay for TSA agents, their paychecks on Friday will be empty. It’s left some employees in Salt Lake City with a difficult decision to make: to stay or leave.
Up until recently, Robert Echeverria had worked for TSA for the past 9 years. It’s something he’d always wanted to do and had dedicated a lot of time to.
“As much as I love the agency, as much as I love my coworkers, my family had to come first,” Echeverria said.
Echeverria quit his job at TSA a couple of weeks ago for a new job. He felt this was the best option, so that he could take care of his family. Unfortunately, he said this shutdown is starting to take a toll on other employees, too.
“I know there’s a bunch of people that are actually leaving and they can’t take it,” he said. "They can’t take the stress. Unfortunately, we’re all in the same boat. I feel like everyone is following suit. How long is the airport going to last that way before the actual government does something?”
Tanja Fowler, the Regional Vice President for Utah AFGE TSA Local 1127, is in the same boat. She left the agency only a few days ago. She originally joined TSA because she came from a long line of family in the military and said it was her way to serve the country.
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With nearly two decades of experience between the two, both Robert Echeverria and Fowler have been through several government shutdowns.
“Not being there for the team and not being a part of that saddens me. I worked really hard to get where I was at working for the agency,” Fowler said. "I miss my coworkers, I miss the job, but again, at the end of the day, everyone has to get paid for the work that they perform on a daily basis.
"If that’s not going to happen, why add that extra layer of stress?"
Fowler shared how the job isn’t simple either, especially with staffing shortages.
“We’re looking for knives, guns, explosives and we’re trying to prevent that from getting onto an airplane,” Fowler explained. "And then them not getting paid adds that extra level of stress.”
FOX 13 News tried to get in touch with current employees, but Fowler said they’re scared of the repercussions. Come Friday, current employees won’t be getting paid.
“Who’s going to take care of my kids? How am I going to pay for childcare? How am I actually going to pay for meals? I feel bad for them,” Echeverria said. "I really, really feel bad for them. It’s a struggle they’re going to be going through.”
If the ongoing shutdown wasn’t happening, both said they would still be TSA officers, but at the end of the day, their well-being came first.
“We’re just being used in the whole political play, and it’s just not fair for anyone getting paid right now,” Fowler said.
Although lines at the Salt Lake City International Airport seemed fine on Thursday, officials are asking travelers to have patience and show kindness as they go through security.