How to help unpaid TSA workers at SEA
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Travelers and TSA workers at Sea-Tac Airport (SEA) during the last government shutdown in November. Photo: David Ryder/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is collecting donations of food and other items for Transportation Security Administration employees working without pay amid the second government shutdown in six months.
The big picture: The Department of Homeland Security shutdown hits just as the nationwide spring break travel surge begins. Travelers face longer wait times as TSA employees navigate the rush without pay.
Zoom in: SEA opened a food pantry for TSA agents and is asking for donations of non-perishables, hygiene products and baby supplies.
- This is nothing new for the Seattle airport, which ran similar food drives during the last two federal shutdowns, said airport spokesperson Perry Cooper.
- Airport dining and retail tenants are helping stock the pantry, with some offering meals and discounts to security staff. The airport has also partnered with Food Lifeline in past shutdowns to help keep supplies flowing, he said.
- People who wish to donate can do so weekdays between 8am and 4pm at the SEA Conference Center.
Yes, but: So far, the shutdown hasn't slowed security lines at the airport, where officials say waits are currently about 10–12 minutes with 93% of travelers clearing the line within 20 minutes.
Zoom out: Other airports are launching similar efforts.
- Denver International Airport asked followers on social media for $10 and $20 grocery and gas gift cards for TSA employees.
Context: Many transportation security officers already work paycheck to paycheck, TSA says.
- The agency reported that during last year's record-long government shutdown, more than 1,100 security officers departed, a more than 25% increase in separations from the same period the prior year.
- Geoff Freeman, the CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, said in a statement that with an average salary around $35,000, these officers "simply cannot afford to miss a paycheck."
Catch up quick: DHS funding expired about a month ago with lawmakers locked in a stalemate over immigration enforcement.
- Other agencies under the DHS umbrella, like FEMA and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, also remain in limbo.
- Democrats have proposed funding certain agencies like FEMA and TSA, while Republicans floated a measure to temporarily fund all of DHS. Both efforts failed.
The fine print: Donations are subject to government ethics regulations.
- According to TSA guidance shared during last fall's shutdown, management can accept donations from travelers on behalf of TSA to share with front-line workers.
- However, they can't accept cash or cash-equivalent gift cards, like VISA cards.