Hundreds of TSA Employees Call Out Sick Amid Shutdown: Report
DISASTER INCOMING
Up to 170 employees reportedly called out each day this week at JFK.
Rick Wilking/Reuters
Hundreds of Transportation Security Administration officers working at major airports called out sick this week as the partial government shutdown continues, CNN reports. At New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, up to 170 employees reportedly called out each day this week after being expected to work without pay. Call outs also reportedly increased by 200 to 300 percent at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, while airports in North Carolina reportedly experienced a 10 percent rise in call outs. Local union officials told the network that workers are calling out in favor of other jobs that actually pay, so they can make ends meet. “This problem of call outs is really going to explode over the next week or two when employees miss their first paycheck,” the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport union official told CNN. The call outs also could cause long lines or lax security measures in airports due to the decreased manpower. The TSA has been without funding since Dec. 22, and the agency previously stated its 55,000 “essential” employees will likely receive payment once the government is funded.
