The Shutdown’s Devastating Ripple Effects
From the AFL-CIO
More than a month after it ended, the government lockout continues to hurt working people: More than 1,000 Transportation Security Administration agents still haven’t received back pay, and it’s unclear when they will be made whole.
More than 1 million federal employees and contractors were devastated by the record-breaking 35-day shutdown, including TSA agents, who are among the lowest paid federal employees, earning an average of $37,000 a year—not enough to afford a two-bedroom apartment in the top 20 major U.S. cities.
Now, reports have surfaced that more than 1,000 TSA agents are still waiting for back pay.
During the shutdown, food banks in cities across the country were busier than usual, with some serving as many as five times the average number of visitors. Federal workers missed $2 billion in pay each pay period of the shutdown.
To make matters worse, more than 1 million federal contractors lost a month of paychecks during the lockout and, unless Congress acts, they will never receive that pay.
“The law says we are entitled to our paychecks in a timely basis and that did not happen this time around. We just can't be held hostage to solve political disputes as the work we do is so important,” Victor Payes, a TSA agent in Los Angeles told NBC Washington.
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