The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been shut down for about a month, meaning officers at the Transportation Security Administration are working without pay.
A few officers in Maine have quit as the shutdown has dragged on, said Bill Reiley, vice president of the American Federation of Government Employees local that represents TSA workers in New England.
Most are showing up for work, but Reiley questions whether that will continue if the partial shutdown continues for another two weeks and transportation security officers miss another paycheck.
Congress is currently in session but is scheduled to recess for an Easter break.
“If they don’t get something done in the next two weeks, you’re talking another month of no pay. If we get to April 1, the wheels are going to come off the truck,” he said. “You’re going to see people leave, more people call out. We already have people taking second jobs already to support themselves and their families.”
Other officers are taking out loans if their local bank offers a program, Reiley added.
Reiley, who also works as transportation security officer, said security checkpoint wait times at the Portland International jetport are still relatively normal. Other airports around the country are dealing with longer TSA wait times due to staffing shortages and callouts.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
