SALT LAKE CITY -- It was a tough day for thousands of air traffic controllers across the country who received a $0 paycheck due to the ongoing government shutdown. In Salt Lake City, around 300 controllers were affected.
Several of them gathered at the baggage claim area of the Salt Lake City International Airport on their time off, handing out leaflets and urging travelers to go to natca.org/actioncenter to pressure lawmakers to end the shutdown so they can get paid.
"We are just out here educating the public about the government shutdown," said Steph Winder with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), who is the Northwest Mountain Regional Vice President and an air traffic controller herself for nearly 20 years.
The shutdown has now stretched into its 28th day, leaving more than 10,000 air traffic controllers nationwide without pay.
Winder expressed the emotional toll it's taking on her and her colleagues.
"We received a $0 paycheck," she said. "It's been a huge gut punch. I thought I was better prepared for this."
She added that many are asking, "How am I going to pay the bills, and how am I going to buy groceries for Thanksgiving?"
TSA employees are also going unpaid, and the shutdown is being blamed for thousands of flight delays across the country. Despite this, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reassured travelers.
"Is it safe to fly? I would tell you that yes, it's as safe today as it was two months ago," Duffy said.
Winder emphasized that controllers will continue to show up for work, even without pay.
"One hundred percent, and I'll continue to do so. We love this job," she said.
Air traffic controllers are legally prohibited from striking due to the critical safety role they play. But in addition to not being paid, they're also facing a nationwide shortage of staff, with many working 50 to 60 hours a week.