Federal Workers Question Shutdown Sacrifice as They Prepare to Return to Work
Jessica Sweet, a Social Security claims specialist, is one of the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have been severely impacted by the recent government shutdown. To make ends meet, Sweet had to cut back on her daily expenses, including drinking only one coffee a day, skipping meals, and reducing her grocery bills. She also had to rely on her credit card to buy gas to get to work, racking up debt in the process.
According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, at least 670,000 federal employees were furloughed during the shutdown, while approximately 730,000 others were forced to work without pay. The shutdown, which began on October 1, has had a significant impact on federal workers, with many struggling to make ends meet. The deal that has brought an end to the shutdown will provide back pay for furloughed federal workers and reverse the dismissals that occurred since October 1.
Federal Workers Feel Used as Pawns in Political Battle
Federal workers like Sweet are not only relieved that the shutdown is coming to an end but are also frustrated that their livelihoods were used as leverage in the political battle between lawmakers. “It’s very frustrating to go through something like this,” said Sweet, who is a union steward of AFGE Local 3343 in New York. “It shakes the foundation of trust that we all place in our agencies and in the federal government to do the right thing.” Many federal workers feel that they were treated like pawns in a game of political chess, with their well-being and livelihoods used to further the interests of politicians.
Adam Pelletier, a National Labor Relations Board field examiner who was furloughed on October 1, expressed similar sentiments. “The agreement that was reached almost feels like the Charlie Brown cartoon where Lucy holds the football and pulls it out from them,” he said. Pelletier, a union leader for NLRBU local 3, had financially prepared for the shutdown but still felt the impact of being furloughed. “This has made me feel like a pawn because federal workers had no say over their own fate,” he said.
Federal Workers Ready to Return to Work
Despite the challenges they have faced, federal workers are eager to return to work and provide essential services to the public. Elizabeth McPeak, a furloughed IRS employee in Pittsburgh and National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 34 first vice president, said that the shutdown has been the worst time in her 20 years as a federal employee. “A month without pay is a long time to go,” she said. McPeak and her colleagues had to rely on food banks and beg their landlords to hold off on collecting rent payments during the shutdown.
Federal workers like Sweet, Pelletier, and McPeak are relieved that the shutdown is coming to an end, but they are also wary that this may not be the last time they face a similar situation. As they prepare to return to work, they are hoping that lawmakers will take steps to prevent future shutdowns and ensure that federal workers are not used as pawns in political battles. For more information on the federal worker shutdown, visit Here.
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