Baltimore airport forced to close terminal as TSA workers call out sick en masse

Baltimore's airport closed one of its terminals Saturday as TSA workers, who are not being paid during the government shutdown, called in sick en masse, reports the Washington Post.

One of the security checkpoints at BWI Marshall Airport was closed for "shortages of screeners."

The airport said it would be “exercising a contingency plan” because of "excessive callouts.”

The airport said that twice as many workers called in sick Saturday as did the same time last year.

TSA workers are required to show up for work during the shutdown but don't get paid.

President Donald Trump's administration has discussed what to do if TSA workers strike or stop showing up for work, with one option being forcing them to come to work as President Ronald Reagan did to air traffic controllers.