Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration employees have missed their first paycheck as the federal government shutdown rolls through its fourth week. They remain required to work.
Nearly 11,000 air traffic controllers, who are deemed essential workers, received a $0 paycheck on Tuesday, equating to two weeks of unpaid work. Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary, warned at a Tuesday press conference that another missed paycheck could be financially catastrophic for employees.
“Many of our controllers can make it without this first paycheck; they’ve been in the job 10, 15, 20 years; they’ve planned for days like this,” said Duffy at the LaGuardia airport in New York City.
“This is day one,” added Duffy of the missed payments. “Day two gets harder, [and] day three is harder after that, as expenses continue to roll [in].”
Duffy noted that air travel is still safe, but that flight delays and other travel issues could continue as the shutdown goes on. Flight disruptions have become increasingly common due to staffing issues, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Staffing issues were reported in Chicago, Dallas, Nashville and other major cities. At the time of publishing, more than 3,000 flights were delayed within, into or out of the US, according to FlightAware. The number of US flights cancelled was 132.
Union leaders have also spoken about the financial hardships of essential workers. “Air traffic controllers have to have 100% of focus 100% of the time,” said Nick Daniels, president of National Air Traffic Controllers Association, at the same press conference. “And I’m watching air traffic controllers going to work … They’re worried about paying for medicine for their daughter. I got a message from a controller that said, ‘I’m running out of money. And if she doesn’t get the medicine she needs, she dies.’”
Some airlines have taken to donating meals to unpaid federal workers to alleviate financial hardships. United told CBS News that it was feeding workers at its hubs, including in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington DC. Delta and JetBlue have also said they would be offering food to workers.
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Air traffic controllers have taken on side gigs such as Uber Eats and DoorDash to make ends meet until the government reopens.
“They should never work a side job, that they should never get off a night shift and then go wait tables,” said Daniels at the news conference.
