This weekend, thousands of TSA workers called out sick and wait times were longer at some airports across the country. Sea-Tac Airport saw longer wait times Saturday when lines there were some of the slowest in the country.
Average wait times improved Sunday. On Monday, after some long lines in the afternoon, there were almost no lines in the evening.
Nationally, the TSA said about 10 percent of the workforce was out Sunday, compared with 3 percent on the same day last year.
Miami screener Andrew Vaz told NBC News that working without a paycheck has been like a punch in the gut. “I showed up and another lead showed up and only 3 officers showed up and on that shift, you're supposed to have at maximum, give or take, 16 officers.”
On Friday, union leaders in Seattle urged workers to stay on the job. “I asked them specifically do not call in sick, you're not getting paid,” Dr. Cairo D’Almeida said.
Support for the workers continues to grow among passengers. One traveler said, "Something needs to be changed, I wouldn't want to go to work for free.”
Some travelers say compromise needs to come soon for both these workers and their loved ones, especially as they move closer to the possibility of missing another paycheck.
“That's unfortunate for those families because they have bills, they have rent to pay and mortgages; it takes a toll on a family when they don't know what the future holds,” Umberto Lugo explained.
It's worth noting that the numbers provided by the TSA did not detail how many sick calls were at each airport. Some airports were forced to implement contingency plans to keep their checkpoints staffed.