BOISE, Idaho — The U.S. government could shut down in the coming days, leaving millions of federal workers without pay for it's duration. That includes Transportation Security Administration employees.
"Employees at the airport, even if there's a government shutdown, we still have to come to work no matter what," said Cameron Cochems, Idaho TSA union regional vice president, "So, we'll be working without getting paid, it's going to be really stressful on us."
He said a shutdown would affect about 300 TSA employees around the state. Nearly half of the employees work at the Boise Regional Airport.
Cochems said TSA workers make about $17 an hour, meaning many workers live paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford not to get paid.
"We have to pay gas; we have to pay bills, you know, we don't know if we'll be able to pay for our medical bills and things like that," he said. "It's just really tough."
Cochems said right now is a particularly tough time for a government shutdown since rents are so high and student loan repayments start back up in October.
If there is a shutdown, he said more people than usual might end up calling out of work. If that happens, travelers could experience delays.
Cochems encourages travelers to be patient with TSA employees.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET NEWS FROM KTVB:
Download the KTVB News Mobile App
Apple iOS: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Watch news reports for FREE on YouTube: KTVB YouTube channel
Stream Live for FREE on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching 'KTVB'.
Stream Live for FREE on FIRE TV: Search ‘KTVB’ and click ‘Get’ to download.