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The union for Transportation Security Administration officers in Vermont told sister station WPTZ that staff members will receive no paychecks this week, after their most recent check was for a partial amount. This comes as the federal funding lapse for the Department of Homeland Security drags on.”The uncertainty brings up a lot of feelings of fear and anxiety,” said Cody Putnam, describing the stress he and other TSA officers in Vermont are feeling during the partial government shutdown that left employees guessing about when their next paycheck will come. “We have people here who have to work two jobs now. We’ve got people who are students who also have families.”The TSA falls under the Department of Homeland Security. Its funding has been in limbo since mid-February because Democrats and Republicans in Congress are at odds over federal immigration reform. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., issued a written statement in response to an inquiry from WPTZ. In it, he voiced support for TSA workers but said reforms at Homeland Security are needed.”TSA agents are invaluable. They get us where we need to go, and—most importantly—they keep us safe. They deserve to be paid. I fully support funding TSA, and Democrats offered a bill to do just that last week. Unfortunately, it was blocked last week by the Republican majority,” Sen. Welch said in the statement. “Shutdowns are brutal. But we need to see real reforms at DHS that rein in ICE and ensure rock-solid accountability mechanisms when immigration officers violate civil rights.”The TSA teams at the Leahy Burlington International Airport and at the Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport are on the job screening passengers and luggage, Putnam said, noting that his colleagues have been showing up with dedication despite the uncertainty. While they do expect back pay eventually, the officers have financial needs now, Putnam said.”They’re community members just like everybody else in Vermont,” Putnam told WPTZ. “They’ve got the same bills, they have rent, they have all the family care that they have to pay for. And it’s not happening.”Putnam went on to describe the current partial shutdown as “another setback” following last fall’s larger-scale government shutdown that also impacted workers’ paychecks. It took some time for employees to catch up from last year’s shutdown, Putnam said.Putnam serves as the steward for the TSA officers’ union in Vermont. He spoke to WPTZ on his day off and discussed issues from the perspective of a local union leader, not on behalf of the TSA as a whole. He said the cycle of government shutdowns that disrupt worker pay needs to end.”I hope that this is a good opportunity for leadership within TSA and the government to look at this and see it as an opportunity to maybe change some things,” Putnam said. “The officers’ mission is to protect the homeland. And so why not take care of the people that do that?”During the shutdown, the airport ambassadors at Leahy BTV are providing occasional free meals and are collecting non-perishable food, personal items, and store gift cards of $20 or less to support the TSA officers during the funding lapse. Their effort is not accepting cash or cash gift cards, Jeff Bartley, the airport’s director of innovation and marketing, emphasized.”It’s a tough time for them,” Bartley said. “They are our friends, our family, they’re our neighbors. Some of them coach youth sports, they volunteer in their communities, and it’s very difficult to hear the stories that they’re sharing, that they’re choosing between paying for gas, paying for food, trying to work something out with their rent because they’re not getting those paychecks. And it’s not just now, but a lot of them are still trying to recover from the last shutdown.”Bartley said people interested in supporting the food, gift card, and supply drive can contact an airport ambassador to do so. Putnam said TSA officers in Vermont are grateful for the airport’s support and for kind words they’re hearing from passengers.”We can’t do it without our community support,” Putnam said.Putnam added that he worries if the shutdown drags on, dedicated TSA officers will look for work elsewhere.
The union for Transportation Security Administration officers in Vermont told sister station WPTZ that staff members will receive no paychecks this week, after their most recent check was for a partial amount. This comes as the federal funding lapse for the Department of Homeland Security drags on.
“The uncertainty brings up a lot of feelings of fear and anxiety,” said Cody Putnam, describing the stress he and other TSA officers in Vermont are feeling during the partial government shutdown that left employees guessing about when their next paycheck will come. “We have people here who have to work two jobs now. We’ve got people who are students who also have families.”
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The TSA falls under the Department of Homeland Security. Its funding has been in limbo since mid-February because Democrats and Republicans in Congress are at odds over federal immigration reform. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., issued a written statement in response to an inquiry from WPTZ. In it, he voiced support for TSA workers but said reforms at Homeland Security are needed.
“TSA agents are invaluable. They get us where we need to go, and—most importantly—they keep us safe. They deserve to be paid. I fully support funding TSA, and Democrats offered a bill to do just that last week. Unfortunately, it was blocked last week by the Republican majority,” Sen. Welch said in the statement. “Shutdowns are brutal. But we need to see real reforms at DHS that rein in ICE and ensure rock-solid accountability mechanisms when immigration officers violate civil rights.”
The TSA teams at the Leahy Burlington International Airport and at the Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport are on the job screening passengers and luggage, Putnam said, noting that his colleagues have been showing up with dedication despite the uncertainty. While they do expect back pay eventually, the officers have financial needs now, Putnam said.
“They’re community members just like everybody else in Vermont,” Putnam told WPTZ. “They’ve got the same bills, they have rent, they have all the family care that they have to pay for. And it’s not happening.”
Putnam went on to describe the current partial shutdown as “another setback” following last fall’s larger-scale government shutdown that also impacted workers’ paychecks. It took some time for employees to catch up from last year’s shutdown, Putnam said.
Putnam serves as the steward for the TSA officers’ union in Vermont. He spoke to WPTZ on his day off and discussed issues from the perspective of a local union leader, not on behalf of the TSA as a whole. He said the cycle of government shutdowns that disrupt worker pay needs to end.
“I hope that this is a good opportunity for leadership within TSA and the government to look at this and see it as an opportunity to maybe change some things,” Putnam said. “The officers’ mission is to protect the homeland. And so why not take care of the people that do that?”
During the shutdown, the airport ambassadors at Leahy BTV are providing occasional free meals and are collecting non-perishable food, personal items, and store gift cards of $20 or less to support the TSA officers during the funding lapse. Their effort is not accepting cash or cash gift cards, Jeff Bartley, the airport’s director of innovation and marketing, emphasized.
“It’s a tough time for them,” Bartley said. “They are our friends, our family, they’re our neighbors. Some of them coach youth sports, they volunteer in their communities, and it’s very difficult to hear the stories that they’re sharing, that they’re choosing between paying for gas, paying for food, trying to work something out with their rent because they’re not getting those paychecks. And it’s not just now, but a lot of them are still trying to recover from the last shutdown.”
Bartley said people interested in supporting the food, gift card, and supply drive can contact an airport ambassador to do so.
Putnam said TSA officers in Vermont are grateful for the airport’s support and for kind words they’re hearing from passengers.
“We can’t do it without our community support,” Putnam said.
Putnam added that he worries if the shutdown drags on, dedicated TSA officers will look for work elsewhere.
