AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka slammed the prospect of a federal government shutdown, saying that it would be a serious hardship on the people who work in the various departments and agencies that would be closed.
“Playing politics with the federal budget threatens the livelihoods of working people. Losing pay is devastating at any time of the year, but especially during the holiday season. #ShutdowntheShutdown & fund the gov’t w/ the 1.9% raise federal workers have been promised & earned,” Trumka tweeted Friday.
Playing politics with the federal budget threatens the livelihoods of working people. Losing pay is devastating at any time of the year, but especially during the holiday season. #ShutdowntheShutdown & fund the gov’t w/ the 1.9% raise federal workers have been promised & earned.
— Richard Trumka (@RichardTrumka) December 21, 2018
Pay is suspended for federal workers during a shutdown, though they do immediately get paid what they would have otherwise received once the shutdown ends. The leaders of federal government unions argue that is still a burden since it means the workers are not getting checks when they may need them to pay bills or buy necessities and thus may be forced to do things like miss payments or rack up credit card debt.
President Trump and congressional Democrats are currently in a standoff over the federal budget that could lead to a shutdown, a prospect the president has said he would welcome. Trump has insisted on funding for a wall along the Mexican border, a proposal the Democrats have rejected. House Republicans passed a funding bill that includes $5.7 billion for the wall Thursday, but it is expected to fail when it is voted on in the Senate, which would result in a shutdown.
The AFL-CIO’s membership includes public sector worker unions like the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the American Federation of Government Employees.
