Long lines, frustrations mount at airports as DHS shutdown stresses TSA staff

Airport delays associated with the partial government shutdown will not go away, and may even get worse. Many major airports are experiencing long security queues, flight delays and growing frustration among travellers. Some TSA workers become sick, take other jobs, or simply quit due to financial difficulties. William Brangham discussed more with The Wall Street Journal’s Allison Bohle.

William Brangham:

Airport delays associated with the partial government shutdown are not going away and may even get worse. Many major airports are seeing long security lines, flight delays, and growing frustration among travelers as TSA employees are not getting paid.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental in Houston appear to be the hardest hit airports with delays of two hours or more. The Philadelphia airport was also very supportive this week.

TSA workers missed their first full paycheck at closing a week ago. Some say they are calling in sick, accepting other jobs, or simply quitting altogether due to financial difficulties.

Carlos Rodriguez, TSA Officer:

People are having to make tough choices between gas, child care, and being able to come to work. It’s really hard now.

William Brangham:

To learn more about these workers and their delays, we’re joined by The Wall Street Journal’s Allison Bohle. It covers the travel and tourism industry.

Alison, thank you so much for being here.

You mentioned that Atlanta and Houston are particularly bad right now. Where else are things bad? How does this compare to what happened a week ago, for example?

Alison Pohl, The Wall Street Journal:

Things started to get worse all over the country.

So we saw longer delays in Phoenix today, as well as at JFK. So, compared to last week, these delays are much longer. We’ve also seen an increase in people traveling for spring break. So there are more travelers. It’s also a longer period of time that TSA workers have not been paid, and they will come in another month where rent will be due, utility bills will be due, etc.

So we’re seeing lines growing across the country.

William Brangham:

Given that all TSA workers are suffering, why do we only see problems at some airports and not others? Like, I understand that Chicago O’Hare was very clear.

Alison Pohl:

This has been the case so far. In certain cases, workers are subject to different arrangements.

So, in Atlanta, for example, workers told me that they had to pay for gas, of course, to get to work, but they also historically had to pay for their parking. When you don’t get paid, these expenses pile up. So what the airport did was step in to cover parking for TSA workers during this time.

But although the situation is the same at most airports, it is also different. There are some TSA workers who are not federal employees. So some airports, like Kansas City, for example, in San Francisco are using private contracting services, where private operators are able to perform the duties of TSA officers, but they are not affected by the closure. They get paid.

So there are airports in different positions.

William Brangham:

Show.

We saw a funding bill in Congress fail again today. Is there any sense where this goes from here?

Alison Pohl:

The battle is still very tough in the future. Therefore, Democrats have introduced legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security, excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement, excluding Customs and Border Protection, or funding only the Transportation Security Administration.

But Republicans voted against them. They introduced bills to fund the entire Department of Homeland Security, and Democrats didn’t vote for them. So, it’s a tough way forward. On both sides, no one seems to have moved yet.

And so what I’m hearing from the TSA folks is that March 27, next Friday, is the day that Congress is scheduled to begin its two-week recess. This is a make or break day for them. If Congress ends up leaving for recess without reaching a deal, TSA employees say they’re not sure they’ll be able to return to work afterward.

William Brangham:

Yes, I can only imagine it would be hard to accept if Congress took its own vacation when TSA employees weren’t getting paid.

I recently spoke with the general manager of the Atlanta airport about all of this. How to explain how they are trying to get out of this quagmire?

Alison Pohl:

What they’re trying to do is just support workers in the ways they can. So I mentioned the parking lot earlier. They also give workers one meal voucher per shift. This is their way of attracting people to work and showing their appreciation for what they do.

In terms of getting out of it, I think, unfortunately, it’s going to get more difficult. So the week of March 29 is actually the week most schools go on spring break. About 40 percent of schools across the country are on spring break during that period.

So, in Atlanta, for example, the GM didn’t have the complete solution. They just take it day by day. He said, at least in Atlanta, people, even though they were waiting in very long lines, were organized, understood what was going on and appreciated the workers.

But, of course, it’s very difficult when you get there three hours early and still miss your flight.

William Brangham:

This is Alison Bohle from the Wall Street Journal.

Thank you very much for being here.

Alison Pohl:

Thanks for having me.