As the partial government shutdown drags on, those wanting to travel for Spring Break should expect longer lines at the airport. Many airports are struggling to stay fully staffed. Friday was supposed to be payday for TSA workers, but paychecks are still on hold. “Today is the first day we r eceived nothing on our paycheck. Two weeks ago, we received only a few hundred dollars, a few days worth of pay,” TSA worker and union rep Joseph Cerletti said. Cerletti said he and his fellow workers at the Oakland airport were feeling the pinch with no word on when they’ll get paid again. “Morale is down extremely. People are questioning, ‘Should I find another job now?’,” he said. Cerletti said workers were just recovering from the last government shutdown, and now they’re faced with making ends meet without paychecks yet again. He said with grocery and gas prices on the rise, it’s even harder this time around. “The officers that may commute from Antioch, Brentwood further out, the officers that came out from Tracey further out, they can’t afford gas anymore and I understand their situation,” Cerletti said. More than 300 TSA workers across the country have called it quits. That’s causing huge wait times at airports across the country. In fact, in Philadelphia, an entire security checkpoint has been closed due to a shortage of TSA workers. “Though Oakland has not seen the problem of TSA officers quitting, as the shutdown continues that very well maybe be a problem,” Cerletti said. The union said sick calls are up and lines are already getting longer. Travelers said the situation is frustrating, but they support the workers. “They’re working hard I don’t think any of us would go to work if we knew we weren’t going to get,” Tanner Lacoste said. “They’re keeping us safe right when we come here we fly we don’t worry about they’re gonna bomb us or anything like that. We fly in safety, and they keep. And we want it to continue to be that way,” Arthurnella Wade said. The TSA union rep says every worker he knows right now is relying on the food bank, which has been delivering groceries to the Oakland airport for the last three weeks. ...read more read less