Pittsburgh International Airport avoiding major TSA delays despite partial government shutdown
Airports around the country have been dealing with backlogs at TSA checkpoints while the Department of Homeland Security shutdown is in place.
For the most part, travelers at Pittsburgh International Airport have avoided that issue. There have been a few instances with morning flights where longer lines have appeared, but nothing compared to other airports.
For the most part, the longest part of getting through the TSA checkpoints for travelers was winding through the maze to get to an agent late Wednesday morning into the afternoon.
"Our people are doing everything within their means to keep coming to work until they just can't afford to do so," TSA agent Bill Resse said over the phone.
Reese is one of the agents currently showing up to work with no pay. He said Pittsburgh, for the most part, has avoided the issues other airports are dealing with because of the work ethic of agents here.
"People do it because they love the job. They love making sure the flying public is getting to their destination safely," Reese said.
That love of the job is being tested. These agents just went through a shutdown in the fall. Now, the process is repeating itself. Some agents are couples or spouses with other agents, so you have double-income households working with no pay.
"We just got caught up. We're right back into another shutdown. This is almost day 30 of the second shutdown," Reese said.
According to Reese, some agents have called off, and the longer this shutdown lasts, the more it could become. It's going to boil down to how long people can afford to work without pay.
One thing helping agents here is the region's general affordability.
"We live in an area that doesn't cost as much as other places you are seeing around the country," Reese said.
At peak times, airport officials say they are using staff and volunteers to help people get into the correct lines to expedite the process.
Airport officials are also working to set up a food pantry for agents in partnership with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
