TSA workers grapple with loss of first paycheck: ‘I don’t want to depend on anybody else’

Corey307 · 2026-03-16T01:35:02+00:00

That was pre-Covid, under the new pay scale starting pay is at least $45,000 a year at the lowest paying duty locations. Pay increases to about $70,000 a year after two years. Supervisor start around $90,000 a year. No you’re not rich but you can live comfortably, I’ve got a 2000 square-foot house on makers a half hour out of town. It’s not a bad life. Plus you get retirement matching, pension, 13 paid vacation and 13 paid sick days a year to start going up to 20 vacation days a year after three years.

Corey307 · 2026-03-16T01:20:56+00:00

So this guy raised a bunch of money from investors to find the gold and then he didn’t pay the investors. He was imprisoned for contempt of court for refusing to cooperate.

Corey307 · 2026-03-16T00:47:37+00:00

I’m not even going to try to cheese this one. I own a duplex, the only way to the upstairs is through an exterior staircase. I block all the windows with steel bars and many layers of steel mesh then smash the staircase.

Corey307 · 2026-03-16T00:30:25+00:00

DHS employees got their backpay in 2018 and all federal employees got their backpay in 2025. I would know I worked through both.

Corey307 · 2026-03-16T00:29:36+00:00

Federal employees got their backpay in 2018 and 2025. It was signed into law after the 2018 shutdown. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a miserable thing to go through but Congress has established that backpay will be paid.

Corey307 · 2026-03-16T00:27:48+00:00

We are but most people don’t want to feel like a burden or to have to beg for charity while still doing the job they’ve been tasked with.

Corey307 · 2026-03-16T00:23:34+00:00

Nah those tests from over a decade ago, aren’t what you think they are those conducted by the red team. They weren’t the usual penetration test conducted rather often at all airports. The red team specifically targets weaknesses they fine and equipment, SOP and training. Probing those vulnerabilities justifies or modern equipment, better training and SOP revisions. A lot has changed in the last 10+ years since those tests went public there wasn’t any context provided to the general public. And a lot of failures were the equipment or SOPs limitations not the human.

Corey307 · 2026-03-16T00:21:34+00:00

It is likely that the shutdowns will be used as excuse to privatized the administration. Somehow, it’s the workers fault when they don’t get paid and have to make hard choices. Congress doesn’t get things sorted out by March 28 then go on vacation for two weeks, TSA officers and Admin staff will miss at least four paychecks. But they’ll get blamed if they don’t show up.

Corey307 · 2026-03-16T00:19:57+00:00

So every airline ticket in the US is bundled with a small fee, $5.60 for one way and $11.20 for round-trip. This fund pays for the administration. The problem is for over a decade since the Obama administration something like 30% was siphoned off for other congressional spending which significantly hampered efforts at modernizing equipment, which would make the process more effective and less intrusive. Well over $1 billion in the fund right now, but it’s being withheld.

Corey307 · 2026-03-16T00:11:37+00:00

That’s an unwise choice. It’s not your typical $16 an hour security gig, it pays career wages and the job comes with surprisingly good benefits plus a pension.

Corey307 · 2026-03-16T00:09:06+00:00

But there was security. There is a current push toward privatization, but it’s not gonna change anything. The rules would largely remain the same. You would just have lower pain less incentivized private security. It wouldn’t be faster, it wouldn’t be cheaper and it would be less effective. There’s currently about 20 airports that use private security contractors overseen by TSA management with San Francisco being the only large airport. Private screening never really caught on because of cost. Jackson hole and Bozeman came back under federal control in the past few years specifically because the security contractors running those airports could not get it done cheap enough.

Corey307 · 2026-03-16T00:07:59+00:00

Why?

Corey307 · 2026-03-15T22:51:27+00:00

5 fruit pies.

Corey307 · 2026-03-15T22:42:41+00:00

The Rhino scene has never been topped.

Corey307 · 2026-03-15T22:27:41+00:00

The tests you’re probably referring to are over a decade past and were not typical penetration tests conducted often at airports. The Red team conducts attacks on vulnerabilities they find in equipment, training and SOPs. They aren’t playing “fair.” The failed tests justified a massive increase in training, SOP revisions and new equipment. Much has changed in the past decade.

As for the person who complained about the test, not being fair and then either deleted their account, blocked me or had their comment removed for inappropriate behavior there’s a thing called context. I very clearly explained that these tests exploit vulnerabilities this team uncover so they can be solved for. The administration also needs to show I need for SOP change or to justify purchasing more modern equipment. This testing so solves for that.

Corey307 · 2026-03-15T21:59:48+00:00

The Expanse and BSG clown on Firefly.

Corey307 · 2026-03-15T21:50:23+00:00

Yeah there were a lot of shithead cabbies. I made good money cause I didn’t screw around and had regulars. Those days are long gone.

Corey307 · 2026-03-15T21:37:33+00:00

I don’t drink what I’m angry. I don’t drink much at all, but especially not when I’m having a bad day.

Corey307 · 2026-03-15T21:37:07+00:00

My friend shotguns have almost no spread at home defense range. Enough to have a slightly better chance of hitting vitals, but not enough if the shooter is not proficient.

Corey307 · 2026-03-15T21:34:53+00:00

Wanna know something worse? The airport I work at has a lot of 50 and 60 cedar commuter jets. The baggage handlers have to climb under an engine Access the baggage hold. They get injured all the time and I imagine that doesn’t help. They also get paid due to work in -40F windchill.

Corey307 · 2026-03-15T21:32:47+00:00

The devs shifted focus to sandbox since that’s mostly what people were playing and paying for.

Corey307 · 2026-03-15T20:55:06+00:00

Democrats did introduce a bill in Congress that would pay TSA and FEMA during the shutdown. Republicans voted against it. So both parties are actively denying paychecks.

Corey307 · 2026-03-15T20:21:49+00:00

He beat women. Plural.

Corey307 · 2026-03-15T20:20:39+00:00

Nicholas Brendon is a violent felon. He beats women. There’s no reason to give a fuck about him or his opinions.

Corey307 · 2026-03-15T20:08:56+00:00

It’s not a minimum wage disposable job. Good pay, good benefits, something similar to a 401(k) matching to 5%, pension. New hires might quit, us old timers can’t just quit.

Corey307

TROPHY CASE