Long lines at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport over the past week were tied to a wave of TSA sick calls, with CBS News reporting that nearly one in four scheduled screeners called out.
One of those employees, Pascual Contreras, an Army veteran and union official with three children whose wife also works for the TSA, said he had run out of gas money for the two‑hour round‑trip drive to work. Contreras described dire finances: one bank account held $18, another was about $100 overdrawn, and he said he needed roughly $1,700 within days to cover upcoming bills, not including rent and utilities. “How am I supposed to provide a healthy, happy life for my children if I can’t even afford to go to work?” he asked.
The staffing gaps come amid a partial federal shutdown that, at the time of the report, left TSA employees collectively missing about $1 billion in pay. In the Phoenix area, gas prices have climbed roughly $1.61 per gallon during the 42 days since the shutdown began, intensifying financial strain as credit cards reach limits and bills accumulate.
Contreras warned that even after promises of back pay, recovery can be slow: following the last shutdown, some officers waited several pay periods to receive all owed wages. Still, with federal funding expected to resume soon, officials said checkpoints should begin reopening next week and wait times should start to ease. Kris Van Cleave reports.