Even though an agreement was reached on Monday (March 30) to provide Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees with back pay, travelers could still face delays at airports across the US.
Easter weekend is approaching fast, and millions of Americans are expected to fly to visit friends and family.
The travel rush follows the end of a 45-day shutdown tied to ongoing Department of Security funding disputes, with an estimated 50,000 workers reportedly missing pay.
Some relief came after Donald Trump signed an order allowing the airport workers who screen passengers and baggage to receive their wages.
The TSA began issuing back pay from Monday, even as Congress continues to argue over Department of Security funding.
Lauren Bis, the acting assistant secretary of public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said:
“Most TSA employees received a retroactive paycheck today that included at least two full paychecks.
“TSA officers are grateful to President Trump and Secretary [Markwayne] Mullin for their leadership to put money back into the pockets of TSA employees who worked without pay during the ongoing Democrat DHS shutdown. Working without pay forced more than 500 officers to leave TSA and thousands were forced to call out.”
Although security bottlenecks began to ease across the country on Monday, it may take days—or even weeks—before operations fully stabilize.
One key issue is staffing: while some officers started receiving pay again on Monday, it’s unclear how quickly those who called out during the pay disruption will return.
Until staffing levels recover, it’s difficult to see airport screening lines dropping back to normal.
That could make for a testy start to the holiday break, particularly for families dealing with long waits as the Easter travel window begins.
Airports typically report their heaviest security demand before 7am, when many early flights depart. Another surge often hits between 4 and 8pm as business travelers head home.
Johnny Jones, who represents 50,000 TSA workers, said:
“For the last five months, TSA officers went to work for three months without pay. Think about that. As the average watcher, imagine trying to manage your daily finances with three of the last five months getting paid twice.
“Myself, I’ve been a TSA officer for 24 years. I’m not going to let a nail that hit my tire stop my road trip. Unfortunately, I have to stop on the side of the road and change the tire or fix it.”