1981.

Refresh my memory - how many federal employee strikes have there been since Reagan fired the striking controllers in 1981?

This shutdown didn't just suddenly happen without warning. I would expect TSA management to keep its employees informed, just as my own (civilian) management always kept us informed when a layoff cycle was likely imminent. Among other bits of advice, we were always cautioned that it might not be the best time to make a major purchase that could be easily postponed - out of an abundance of caution. You didn't want to get laid off; you really didn't want to get laid off right after you signed the papers on a vacation cabin or a boat.