Third paycheck in jeopardy for TSA workers amid shutdown

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - TSA workers across the country are facing growing financial strain as the partial government shutdown threatens to cost them a third paycheck, according to local labor leaders.

At the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, union representatives and TSA employees spoke during a morning press conference, asking the community for support as the shutdown drags on. Savannah Regional Labor Council President Christi Hulme said even small efforts can make a difference.

“Share the word, tell your neighbors tell your friends because even if you may not be able to help, maybe they can,” Hulme said.

For many TSA workers in Savannah, the last paycheck came on Valentine’s Day — 38 days ago — leaving employees reporting to work while struggling to cover basic expenses.

Michael Weiss, a TSA agent at the Savannah/Hilton Head Airport, said workers are taking on side jobs and finding other ways to scrape by.

“People are having to work their required shifts, they’re selling plasma one or twice a week, working DoorDash, Uber Eats, whatever they can possibly do to make ends meet right now,” Weiss said.

Aaron Barker, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 554, said he’s watching the impact worsen in real time, including stories of workers arriving after having their cars repossessed or facing major medical costs without enough money to pay.

“These are the things that are happening behind the scenes. TSA officers are everyday citizens like the rest of the traveling public,” Barker said.

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said he has traveled through multiple airports in recent weeks and noted that while some hubs — including Atlanta — are seeing heavier impacts, Savannah has had fewer visible disruptions so far.

“You really go through Savannah and you still see minimal disruptions so if you’re not locked into the news you won’t know that anything is different,” Johnson said.

Still, Barker warned that if the shutdown continues, the effects will become more obvious.

TSA employees and union leaders are now looking ahead to March 27, which they say is the final opportunity for Congress to allocate funding before a two-week recess — a deadline that could carry major consequences for workers and their families.