TSA workers get temporary financial relief as Coast Guard civilians work with no pay during shutdown

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- As TSA workers receive a temporary fix to their paycheck delays, thousands of other federal employees under the Department of Homeland Security remain unpaid, including civilians who work for the U.S. Coast Guard.

Two weeks ago, retired civilian Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) operator Scott Humphrey warned ABC7 Eyewitness News that current VTS employees in San Francisco were still reporting for duty despite not being paid during the partial government shutdown. But he says that changed last week, when staffing shortages forced San Francisco VTS to do something extremely rare: go offline for 12 hours overnight.

"At one point last week, our local VTS had to go offline from about 5 p.m. to 5 a.m.," Humphrey said. "There just weren't enough workers to staff an all-night watch."

Humphrey said the stress of working without pay, while supporting families and managing critical responsibilities, is taking a toll.

"It's impossible to expect they're not suffering a loss of focus after this long period without collecting any paychecks," Humphrey said.

MORE: The unseen strain on Bay Area's Vessel Traffic Service workers amid partial government shutdown

While only a few dozen civilian VTS operators work in the Bay Area, the issue is far larger nationwide.

Brooke Millard, CEO of Coast Guard Mutual Assistance and a retired Coast Guard member, says there are roughly 8,000 civilian employees under the Coast Guard affected at ports across the country.

"This is the second government shutdown in less than six months that has affected our civilian employees," Millard said. "And can you blame them?"

VTS operators are considered the eyes on the water, responsible for monitoring vessel movements, coordinating traffic, and supporting search and rescue operations. Many of the most experienced search and rescue controllers are civilians.

"These are the employees who are still showing up to work without getting paid," Millard said. "Eventually they might say, 'I don't want to do this anymore.'"

MORE: Privatize TSA? Why SFO is the 'poster child' for debate amid partial government shutdown

The shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history, is set to enter its 46th day. When VTS is not staffed, vessels must communicate directly with one another, but there is no centralized oversight or coordination across the waterway.

ABC7 News has reached out to the U.S. Coast Guard for comment, but at the time of this report has not heard back.