Absences among U.S. airport screeners
jump as shutdown drags on
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[January 14, 2019]
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Unscheduled
absences among federal airport security screeners jumped on Sunday,
forcing a checkpoint and ticket counter to close in Houston, as a
partial government shutdown that has frozen pay checks moved into its
23rd day.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the agency responsible
for airport security screening, said unscheduled absences among its
employees rose to 7.7 percent from 5.6 percent on Saturday. That is more
than double the 3.2 percent rate experienced a year ago.
The TSA said in a statement on Sunday that security had not been
compromised at U.S. airports.
But screener staffing shortages forced George Bush Intercontinental
Airport to shut down a security checkpoint and ticketing counter in
Terminal B on Sunday afternoon, the airport said in a statement.
"Passengers are encouraged to arrive early and give themselves extra
time to check in for their flights and to clear the security
checkpoints," the airport said.
The ticket counter and security checkpoint were expected to remain
closed for the remainder of the day.
Miami International Airport said it planned to reopen Concourse G on
Monday. The concourse was closed for part of the weekend because not
enough TSA workers were present to staff the security checkpoint.
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![](../images/011419pics/news_d96.jpg)
An employee with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
checks the documents of a traveler at Reagan National Airport in
Washington, U.S., January 6, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
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The screeners are among the lowest-paid federal employees. While
they will be paid once the shutdown ends, many say they will
struggle to pay bills in the meantime.
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(Reporting by David Shephardson in Washington; Additional reporting
by Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Grant
McCool)
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