After a month without pay, federal workers are rallying outside Sea-Tac

Federal workers hit by the government shutdown are starting their second month without pay.

As thousands of families are forced to consider loans and unemployment assistance, labor unions are rallying outside the airport.

TSA agents at Sea-Tac International Airport are fed up with the partial government shutdown. They’re planning a rally Tuesday afternoon at the airport on Day 32.

The more than 800 TSA agents who work at Sea-Tac have now missed out on two pay periods, so have a couple of hundred air traffic controllers and technicians.

At the rally, they're going to be joined by other local unions in solidarity.

Union leaders said the workers are stressed out worrying when they’ll get paid next.

“They don't make a lot anyway. They start at about $16 an hour. They’re really not making a living wage anyway,” says Grant Schott, Legislative Political Organizer for the American Federation of Government Employees.

“And if they don't have savings, if they don't have a spouse who has a decent job, that makes it very tough,” Schott said.

AFGE Local 1102 represents thousands of federal employees hit by the shutdown.

"Bureau of Prisons, we have about 200 folks there who are working without pay, ICE and Border Patrol as well. Homeland Security is the big one affected,” Schott said.

At Sea-Tac last week, there was a collection barrel set out to collect food and other items for struggling TSA employees. There were cans of tuna and soup along with things like diapers.

An airport employee who sits next to the barrel said that she saw that it was full when she came in the morning.

Some interviewed employees said that they could miss one paycheck and survive, but after two paychecks they would have to look at another option.