Salt Lake City steps in as airport employees go unpaid during shutdown

Two weeks into the government shutdown, Salt Lake City is stepping in to help federal employees who are losing paychecks.

On Oct. 7, the Salt Lake City Council opted to amend the city’s budget to spend an additional $100,000 from its airport fund to support Transportation Security Administration employees who were expected to work without pay under the shutdown.

The airport has used the funds to organize a food pantry to supply basic food and hygiene products for its 400 TSA employees and around 30 Customs and Border Protection agents who are going unpaid during the shutdown, Salt Lake City Department of Airports Executive Director Bill Wyatt said. Workers can access the pantry near the airport’s offices.

“These employees aren’t making necessarily robust wages — these are public servants, they’re federal employees,” Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said. “When — for no reason of their own doing — people can’t bring a paycheck home, this compromises the fabric of stability in an entire community.”

The Salt Lake City airport hasn’t experienced any delays due to the shutdown so far, but Wyatt said the facility is now into its first pay period where federal employees will get nothing — and he anticipates the effect of that will start showing soon, as employees won’t have the money to pay rent even though they showed up to work.

“I ask other Utahns, as you come through the airport, be kind — bring an extra dose of patience,” Mendenhall said. “Give some grace to these federal employees, share your gratitude with them. They’re showing up for the well-being of every single one of us, and they’re not getting paid at this point.”

Individuals can donate non-perishables to the food pantry at the airport’s travel plaza, where the Chevron gas station is located.