TSA pay not yet back to normal, long lines at some airports, like LaGuardia, remain
NEW YORK (WABC) -- TSA agents across the country have begun receiving some back pay after going weeks without a paycheck because of the government shutdown.
However, many workers say uncertainty remains about when they will be paid again, and some report receiving less money than expected.
The developments come as travelers hope renewed pay will help reduce long security lines at airports.
TSA workers started receiving paychecks Monday, but the money represents back pay, leaving questions about future pay unresolved.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week authorizing payment for TSA agents.
For more than a month, TSA workers were required to continue working without pay, prompting many to call out sick.
The partial government shutdown has lasted more than 40 days after Congress failed to reach an agreement to fund the Department of Homeland Security.
As a result, many employees across agencies including TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency either went unpaid or are now receiving retroactive wages.
The Department of Homeland Security says most TSA workers received a retroactive paycheck that included at least two full pay periods.
Still, some workers say they have not yet been paid or received less than they anticipated.
"It does not cover any overtime. It does not cover any shift differential. So it's no, not what I expected," one TSA worker said.
Security lines remain long at major airports. Conditions at Newark Liberty International Airport were smooth but did have 45-60 minute waits Tuesday morning, at LaGuardia Airport on Monday, waits stretched to about two hours in Terminal B.
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