WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- The three-week funding deal to reopen the U.S. federal government will not provide enough time for the air transportation system to "recover from the damage," the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) said Friday.
In a CNBC interview, the TWU International President John Samuelsen said the U.S. transportation system "was brought right to the edge of the cliff" and a stopgap funding measure won't reverse the damage caused by the lengthy government shutdown.
The organization represents nearly 140,000 workers in the airline, railroad, transit and other industries.
Samuelsen said the lengthy shutdown could also have a long-term impact on the workforce of federal agencies.
"Technically skilled workers come to work for the government because they get a steady paycheck," he said, adding that "it would be not surprising if we lose tons of talents" in the future.
Some experts also warned that federal employees could be finding new jobs under financial stress, and they might not return to the federal agencies when paychecks resume.
The 35-day partial shutdown temporarily ended Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a bill to fund the government until Feb. 15, leaving more time for debate on his long-demanded U.S.-Mexico border wall.
A few hours prior to Trump's announcement, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) halted flights bound for New York City's LaGuardia Airport, citing staff shortage caused by the shutdown.
The FAA said in a statement that there is "a light increase in sick leave" at two facilities. It pointed to staffing issues at Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center for the decision. Other main airports in the region, including Washington Reagan National, Newark Liberty International and Philadelphia International, have also seen delays.
"It's upsetting that they're not getting paid that they can't work and LaGuardia is like already one of the busiest airports in the country," Olivia Gassner, whose flight to Chicago was delayed, told Xinhua. "I hope it's a wake up call."
Besides low staffing level for air traffic controllers, the absence rate of airport security staff has remained high in recent days, reaching a record 10 percent on Sunday, compared to 3.1 percent a year ago, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
The unions that represent the nation's air traffic controllers, pilots and flight attendants issued a warning on Wednesday, saying that they have "a growing concern for the safety and security" of their members, airlines, and the traveling public due to the government shutdown.
"In our risk averse industry, we cannot even calculate the level of risk currently at play, nor predict the point at which the entire system will break. It is unprecedented," the three unions said in a joint statement.
Airport traffic controllers and security screeners are among the 420,000 federal employees who are required to work without pay after the shutdown. They, along with 380,000 furloughed workers, missed their second paycheck on Friday. Trump said he will ensure that they receive pay "very quickly or as soon as possible."
