U.S. gov. shutdown may be over, but TSA workers in Phoenix are still waiting to get paid

Gov. Shutdown: TSA workers still waiting for pay

The federal government shutdown may be over, but some federal workers, like TSA workers, are still dealing with the aftermath, as they wait for their paycheck after weeks of no pay. FOX 10's Kenzie Beach reports.

PHOENIX - The federal government is back open, and many flights are running on schedule again, but those who work for the federal government are still waiting for their paychecks.

As of Nov. 18, TSA officers at Sky Harbor are on their seventh week without pay.

What we know:

A TSA union representative at Sky Harbor said the delay comes down to a massive backlog: during the shutdown, timecards were not certified and processed, and that is now putting payroll weeks behind.

Big picture view:

We spoke with nearly a dozen TSA officers as they came and went from work on Nov. 18. Many of them are barely getting by, and were fearful to speak with us. For that reason, we will not be identifying them, nor will we show their faces.

We asked the workers if they have been paid, and their replies were "no comment," "I honestly cannot comment on that," and "there's just a lot I can't say."

"More than one officer got home, and they received an eviction notice, or a notice to demand payment or they would be evicted, because they didn’t get paid. They couldn’t pay their rent," one TSA worker said.

Dig deeper:

The Department of Homeland Security has announced a $10,000 bonus for TSA officers who worked through the government shutdown. The criteria, however, exclude every officer we spoke with.

"That $10,000 thing seems to only have happened at certain airports," said one worker. "People came in and worked over on time on top of it. If they came in and took one vacation, one day, or two days, why should they be disqualified for that?"

Vacation time is scheduled a year out, and any paid time off taken during the shutdown, for any reason, disqualifies an officer from the bonus.

"I’ve been here 17 years. For me, you always have to plan for this, where it's like you miss paychecks," a veteran TSA officer explained. "So, you need to work overtime. You have to make sure you have a savings account."

What Others Are Doing:

Companies like APS, SRP, and Verizon are reportedly putting a hold on federal workers’ accounts. They have been given a grace period to pay their bills as they wait to be paid.

What's next:

TSA officers are expecting their paychecks, including back pay, before Thanksgiving.