As tens of thousands of federal employees go without pay during the latest funding stalemate, AFGE National President Everett Kelley is calling on Congress to pass legislation to ensure federal employees are paid during shutdowns.
Funding for most operations at the Department of Homeland Security ran out on Feb. 14 when a continuing resolution expired. Most DHS workers are excepted from the shutdown, meaning they must report to work even though they are not being paid during the shutdown.
“These essential workers have already endured a 43-day government shutdown last fall and a 4-day shutdown earlier this year and have continued to serve the American people with pride,” President Kelley said in a Feb. 27 press statement. “AFGE members are tired of the being forced on this roller coaster every time their elected officials fail to do their jobs.”
AFGE is calling on Congress to pass the Shutdown Fairness Act (S. 3168 and H.R. 7137), which protects federal employees’ livelihoods by requiring the government to pay workers in full and on time during future government shutdowns.
“Government shutdowns are harmful to federal employees, their families, and our economy. No employees should have to go without a paycheck on payday. It is unacceptable, unjust, and un-American,” Kelley said.
About 90 percent of Homeland Security’s 260,000 employees are working without pay due to the ongoing shutdown, including employees at the Transportation Security Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
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AFGE and its National Veterans Affairs Council are calling on a federal court to force the Department of Veterans Affairs to comply with a judge’s order restoring AFGE’s master collective bargaining agreement with the VA and all subsidiary agreements.
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AFGE has developed detailed issue papers identifying our key legislative priorities this year.
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