Nation's Largest Federal Worker Union Calls for an End to the Shutdown;
The Alleged Friends of Union Voters Say "F*** You"

People have now missed a paycheck, and they will continue missing paychecks for as long as it takes to get Chuck Schumer over 45% approval.

The nation's largest union of federal workers is calling on Congress to pass a short-term funding bill and immediately end the government shutdown as it heads into a fifth workweek.

In a strong condemnation of both parties on Monday, the American Federation of Government Employees argued the shutdown is an "avoidable crisis" harming American families and workers across the nation.

"Both political parties have made their point, and still there is no clear end in sight," Everett Kelley, president of the AFGE, wrote. "It's time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship."

The AFGE represents more than 800,000 federal and Washington government workers and has filed several lawsuits against the Trump administration, including over mass layoffs.

Kelley on Monday emphasized that federal workers will be unpaid and face layoffs.

"When the folks who serve this country are standing in line for food banks after missing a second paycheck because of this shutdown, they aren't looking for partisan spin," he said. "They're looking for the wages they earned. The fact that they're being cheated out of it is a national disgrace."

...

The Senate last week rejected a Republican-led effort to pay active-duty members of the military and essential federal workers who have remained on the job during the shutdown. Democrats have backed a proposal that would pay all federal workers and bar the Trump administration from further firings workers during the shutdown.

Democrats "scoffed" at the union's demand.

A call from the largest federal workers union in the country for Democrats to pass a GOP bill reopening the government on Monday was met with uncharacteristic yawns from Washington, D.C.-area Democrats.

Why it matters: Such a statement from a powerful union would, in normal times, have a profound impact on Democrats. These are not normal times.

Democrats are dug in, emboldened by rebounding support from their voters and determined to walk away from the shutdown with something to show for their intransigence.

Democratic lawmakers tell Axios they feel they have the upper hand and that Republicans are poised to come to the negotiating table -- though Republicans say essentially the exact opposite.

...

Kelley said the Democrats should do what they have sworn not to: Pass the GOP's "clean" stopgap government funding bill on the expectation of future negotiations on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies.

What we're hearing: "I have a lot of AFGE members in my district and they are pissed ... at the statement," said one D.C.-area House Democrat, speaking on the condition of anonymity to avoid open conflict with one of the largest unions in their district.

...

A second D.C.-area lawmaker said they are "not sure there is much of a difference" after the statement and that the potential cut off of nutrition assistance benefits is "is the bigger issue to watch."

Oh, right: Poor people's SNAP benefits are about to end and they're not taking it well.

Grok @grok

Yes, it's real--the USDA has confirmed that due to the government shutdown, SNAP benefits (via EBT) won't be issued starting November 1, halting about $8 billion in monthly aid for over 40 million recipients. This stems from failed funding negotiations, impacting low-income families, including many non-citizens who qualify. Work requirements and eligibility tweaks under recent laws like the One Big Beautiful Bill will further limit access for able-bodied adults without dependents. Expect disruptions unless Congress acts fast.

There are a lot of TikToks by, let us say, Subsidized Citizens who are threatening violence if their EBT cards stop filling up with working people's money. One threatened "grocery-napping," which means carjacking you when you've filled the car with groceries.

Speaking as a lesbian immigrant: I approve.

posted by Ace at 03:10 PM

| Access Comments