Denver International Airport (DEN) is preparing for one of its first major travel rushes of the year and a federal government shutdown means TSA operators will be screening travelers and working without pay checks.
More than 1.3 million passengers are expected to pass through security at DEN over the next few weeks as spring break travel picks up.
While a spokesperson for the airport told CPR News that “operations at DEN are normal,” airport officials are asking the public to donate grocery and gas gift cards to help support those officers.
“TSA employees just missed their first paycheck, and as we enter a busy spring break travel period, we want to do what we can to ease the stress of this moment,” DEN CEO Phil Washington said in a statement. “That’s why we are calling on the public, our passengers, and other airport employees to donate grocery store and gas gift cards to help make this moment a little more bearable for these federal workers.”
The airport is asking for gift cards from establishments like King Soopers, Safeway, Walmart, Costco, and Target — in denominations of $10 or $20.
Airport officials did not respond to comment whether airport leadership will also be contributing to the effort but said during the last government shutdown, the airport opened “a food and supplies pantry for federal employees who were working without pay.”
But Angela Grana, the regional vice president for the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1127 — a union representing TSA officers in Colorado, says while the donations are deeply appreciated, they don’t solve the larger problem.
“It’s a big ask to ask these officers to show up again and again to work with no paycheck,” Grana told CPR News.
“The fact that [lawmakers] are using us as pawns — it’s hard to swallow,” she said. “We’re like a light switch; you turn us on, turn us off. We’re going to start losing the best of the best. We have a lot of officers that have been around for a long time and know a lot of the job, and it's hard to ask an employee to choose between continuing the mission of the oath that they took or their family. It's a hard choice and not everybody can do that.”
This is the latest in a series of federal government shutdowns to affect federal workers, including TSA officers. Late last year, TSA workers had to work without pay for 43 days, the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
TSA officials did not respond to comment on how staffing levels are impacting operations and travelers at DEN.
Meanwhile, Denver airport officials are advising travelers to arrive at least two hours before their boarding time, and Grana asks passengers to “pack their patience.”
“I need them to pack their patience and know that we are going to clear one bag, one passenger at a time. We will not rush, we will not hurry. If you’re not going to make your flight, we apologize ahead of time, but we’re going to do our job. Our job is more important than whether someone made it late to the airport. So come on time, come early if you can, and be patient with us.”
