KRIS VAN CLEAVE:
00:00:15
The long lines at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport over the last week have been driven by TSA officer sick calls yesterday. Nearly one in every four screeners scheduled to work called out. I have a total of $18 in one account, and I'm negative $100 and change on the other one.
KRIS VAN CLEAVE:
00:00:34
Pascual Contreras, a TSA officer and union official, was one of them. On Monday, he says he ran out of gas money to pay for the two-hour round-trip daily drive to work. How am I supposed to provide a healthy, happy life for my children if I can't even afford to go to work? It doesn't feel good as a parent to look at your children and have them offer up whatever money they have so you can get to work, so you can buy food.
KRIS VAN CLEAVE:
00:01:03
Contreras, an Army veteran, has three kids. His wife is also a TSA employee. What's going on in your head at night? I think, what's going on in my head is, how am I going to do it? I don't want to fail the team. When I don't show up, I know I'm hurting the team. But how can I show up if I don't have the ability to?
KRIS VAN CLEAVE:
00:01:22
But in the 42 days since the shutdown began, the price of gas in the Phoenix area has soared up nearly $1.61 a gallon, at a time when he says his credit cards are maxed out as bills are piling up, and more come due April 1.
PASCUAL CONTRERAS:
00:01:37
I have four days to come up with $1,700. That's not including the rent. The rent and the electricity. And just because a check is coming doesn't mean the hardship is over for TSA officers. Contreras said after the last shutdown, it took several pay periods for the officers to get all of the back pay they were owed. Still, there is hope with the promise of a check coming. Next week, we'll see checkpoints start to open and those lines start to get shorter. Tony. We hope. Kris, thank you very much.
