TSA union: 'Our morale is now at an all-time low'
Source: Pittsburgh Trib-Union
Bills, mortgages, child care, food: These are the things Transportation Security Administration workers at Pittsburgh International Airport worry about on the 28th day of the partial government shutdown.
“There are real people out here, fighting for their lives, fighting for their homes, fighting to feed their kids,” said Ava Basalyga, a TSA officer working at Pittsburgh International Airport.
“Our morale is now at an all-time low,” American Federation of Government Employees Local 332 President Bill Reese said. “There seems to be no end in sight.”
Local 332 represents about 240 TSA workers at Pittsburgh International Airport, and a total of about 500 workers across the state. They were allowed to participate in the rally as long as they were off-duty and not in uniform, Reese said.
Many of the employees who work at Pittsburgh International Airport commute from Ohio and West Virginia, Reese said. As their finances become even more strained, those employees could start to have trouble making it to work, even if they want to be there, he said.
“The other problem is this: They cannot sign up for unemployment benefits,” said Phil Glover, vice president of AFGE District 3, which represents federal workers in Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Furloughed employees who are not working may apply for unemployment benefits, and those working without pay are not eligible under Pennsylvania statute, he said.
Read more: https://triblive.com/local/allegheny/14518880-74/tsa-union-our-morale-is-now-at-an-all-time-low
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