PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Airlines are resuming their normal schedules as the FAA lifts flight restrictions that affected 40 major airports during the recent government shutdown, bringing some relief to travelers just days before Thanksgiving.
The lifting of restrictions comes as a relief for people flying over Thanksgiving weekend, which is the busiest air travel period of the year, according to TSA data. However, while the government has reopened, many TSA workers are still struggling financially after going without pay during the 43-day shutdown.
TSA agents across South Florida said they won't see a paycheck for another week, leaving many still scrambling to pay bills and basic expenses.
"There's still a lot of struggles," said Mickey Alston, a union official with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) who represents TSA workers from the Melbourne Airport to Fort Myers and Key West.
Workers have gone so long without pay that Alston says some workers were unable to pay rent on the first of this month.
"People are threatening with an eviction notice," she said.
When asked how many people have received eviction notices, Alston said one agent has already received an eviction notice, while two others are working out arrangements with landlords.
Alston said she and other agents expected things to improve once the shutdown ended, noting that during previous shutdowns, workers typically received paychecks within a week of reopening.
But this weekend, Alston and fellow TSA agent Damian De'Leonardo received a notice from the Department of Homeland Security saying paychecks won't be issued until Monday.
"We've been borrowing from banks, you know, taking out loans," Alston said. "I'm not even entirely sure how they break everything down. I don't know if they're going to just give it to us all in one lump sum, or if they're just going to give us something, you know, maybe a paycheck, and then work out the rest later."
"TSA officers, they live paycheck to paycheck, so it'll be difficult," De'Leonardo said.
The delayed paychecks mean money will hit their bank accounts for the first time in weeks just days before the holidays.
"Thanksgiving is going to be tough for a lot of federal employees," Alston said.
The Department of Homeland Security has promised to give all agents who continued working during the shutdown a $10,000 bonus, with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stating they would be "handing out bonus checks." However, Alston said none of the agents at airports he represents have heard anything concrete about the $10,000 bonus.
When asked how the bonus money would help if it materializes, De'Leonardo said it would be "tremendous." But until that happens Alston believes, "the officers would just be satisfied, at least just getting their paycheck because we don't have anything right now."
To get through the next week, agents say people are still relying on food banks and donations, especially ahead of Thanksgiving.
Those who want to help TSA workers can contact Alston directly at meak77@msn.com.
"We do need hygiene products such as soap, deodorant, lotions. You know, we need baby Pampers. We need baby formulas. So anybody that wants to help out with that, we need gas card. We definitely need gas cards, because we have to get to and from work. So whatever anyone can do and food products as well. So anyone who can help just please reach out and provide us some assistance. That's what we really need," Alston said.
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