TSA agents brace for staff shortages as shutdown leaves workers without pay

BOSTON — TSA agents just missed their first full paycheck this weekend since the partial government shutdown began about a month ago.

Mike Gayzagian is a TSA union representative for New England.

“It’s not fair to any of us, it’s not fair to anybody who’s stuck in this situation,” said Mike Gayzagian, AFGE Local 2617 President with the TSA Officers Union. “I don’t think people realize how integrated TSA is into the entire aviation system, and I don’t think people realize what a full TSA agency meltdown would look like, and so you know, they’re putting everybody in a dangerous situation by continuing this.”

Gayzagian says luckily, travelers haven’t been feeling the impact just yet at Logan Airport with a lot of agents still showing up for work, unlike the hours–long lines at security checkpoints at other major airports.

But Gayzagian says now that officers just missed a paycheck, he expects more will leave the job for good in Boston.

“I just heard about an officer today who is down to her last 800 dollars, and she’s going to have to leave the agency, and you know that’s sad,” said Gayzagian.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says 300 TSA agents have already quit the job during this partial shutdown, and the “call-outs” have doubled.

Gayzagian says the concern only grows here in Boston as we get closer to spring with more visitors than usual expected to fly in this year.

“We’re going into a tourist season on steroids this year with FIFA, and the marathon and all the normal things we have and Sail Boston’s coming, and TSA has to be on top of its game and fully staffed in order to manage this,” said Gayzagian.

But TSA agents won’t get paid until Democrats and Republicans can reach a deal on federal immigration enforcement.

“People who planned, well you know, financially will be okay because it can’t be a long-term thing because everybody at some point is going to run out of money,” said Gayzagian.

Gayzagian says the other issue with TSA agents leaving the job is needing the time to train new people, and sometimes it can take months.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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