Why TSA airport lines could continue despite Trump's pay agreement
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images
Despite an agreement in place for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees to be back paid being reached on Monday (March 30), disruption could continue at airports across the US.
Easter weekend is nearly upon us, with millions of Americans set to travel across the country to see family.
It comes amid a 45-day shutdown due to the ongoing funding problem for the Department of Security, with 50,000 people said to have not been paid.
The situation has been somewhat resolved however after Donald Trump signed an order for the workers responsible for screening passengers and luggage in airports to be paid.
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The TSA issued its employees back pay starting from Monday, though Congress continues to bicker over the funding of the Department of Security.
Lauren Bis, the acting assistant secretary of public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said: "Most TSA employees received a retroactive paycheck today that included at least two full paychecks.
"TSA officers are grateful to President Trump and Secretary [Markwayne] Mullin for their leadership to put money back into the pockets of TSA employees who worked without pay during the ongoing Democrat DHS shutdown. Working without pay forced more than 500 officers to leave TSA and thousands were forced to call out."
While security congestion eased across the country on Monday, it could well be days or even weeks before normal service is resumed.
You see, some people started getting paid on Monday, but a return to normalcy at airports depends partly on whether all TSA agents who called out over the lack of pay will return before their back pay actually lands.
Until staff levels are back to normal, it's hard to imagine lines in airports returning to previous levels.
So, get ready for a lot of moaning from the kids as those lines could well be busy heading into the busy Easter weekend.
Most airports say the busiest time at security is before 7am as many jump on an early morning flight, though between 4 and 8pm can also be pretty hectic as business workers head home from a ton of meetings.
Johnny Jones, who represents 50,000 TSA workers, said: "For the last five months, TSA officers went to work for three months without pay. Think about that. As the average watcher, imagine trying to manage your daily finances with three of the last five months getting paid twice.
"Myself, I've been a TSA officer for 24 years. I'm not going to let a nail that hit my tire stop my road trip. Unfortunately, I have to stop on the side of the road and change the tire or fix it."