Sea-Tac Holds Resource Fair For Unpaid Federal Workers

SEATAC, WA - Federal workers ensnared in the partial government shut down will get some help from the Port of Seattle. A resource fair for federal workers will be held at Sea-Tac on Friday and Monday, offering short-term loans and other assistance.

Essential federal employees have been working without pay since the shutdown began almost three weeks ago. Friday will mark the first official missed payday for those approximately 800,000 workers - including TSA agents and air traffic controllers.

At Sea-Tac, federal workers will be able to meet with the United Way, nonprofit credit unions, and local utility companies like Seattle City Light to get advice and assistance.

The resource fair runs noon to 5 p.m. on Friday and Monday. The fair will be located at the central auditorium above checkpoint No. 3. The Port might hold more fairs if necessary, and if the government continues to stay shut down.

“The federal workers who serve critical functions at the Port—as air traffic controllers, security checkpoint screeners, safety inspectors and other vital roles—deserve to be paid in a timely fashion for the work they do,” Port Commissioner Ryan Calkins said in a press release. "Until our federal government ends this unnecessary and harmful shutdown, we will do everything in our power to help workers in our facilities find the resources they need to pay their bills."

AP Photo/Ted S. Warren