Federal Workers Organize to Support Legislation to Provide Economic Supports in the Event of Another Federal Shutdown

PHOTO: Senator Troy Jackson meets with union members at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Monday

Last week, enough Republicans in Congress voted to avert another costly federal government shutdown by keeping the government funded until early March. However, that doesn’t mean an extreme minority in the House of Representatives won’t provoke another showdown a month from now. Since 2013, there have been three federal shutdowns that have resulted in hundreds of thousands of furloughs that have impacted many Maine families. The last shutdown in 2018/2019 lasted for 35 days. During that shutdown most of the workers at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard were required to work without getting paid until after the shutdown.

When this kind of brinksmanship and political dysfunction in Washington shuts down the federal government, its federal employees and their families who suffer. Federal employees in Maine maintain our Navy submarines, provide Social Security benefits to seniors, protect aviation and public safety and much more. When they are furloughed or forced to work without pay, they struggle to pay for heat, feed their kids and pay their bills.

While the state can’t do much to prevent the attempts from extremists in Congress to use the federal workforce as a bargaining chip, we can do something to help make sure people don’t fall behind on payments through no-interest loans.
 

Senator Troy Jackson has sponsored, LD 2113, “An Act to Provide Relief to Federal Employees Affected by a Federal Shutdown,” to alleviate financial pressure on federal workers during shutdowns. The bill provides access to no interest loans for up to $6,000 per employee per month. Regardless of your political leanings, we should able to agree that federal employees shouldn’t be pawns in partisan games. LD 2113 will provide them the temporary relief they need until they get paid again.

Earlier this week, the Metal Trades Council at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard organized a lunch in learn about this legislation. More than 50 union members turned out and enthusiasm was high to get this bill passed.  Senator Jackson spoke and updated workers on what the bill would do. Maine AFL-CIO staff shared ways that workers can support the legislation by filling out a postcard, emailing or calling their State legislator, attending Labor Lobby Day and coming to the public hearing. 
 

“Hardworking federal employees shouldn’t have to pay the price for political games and incompetence in D.C. With the threat of the federal shutdown looming overhead, Maine lawmakers should have these workers’ backs. In the event of a federal shutdown, they will still have homes to heat, kids to feed and bills to pay. A limited interest-free loan program can help,” said President Jackson in a statement. “I’m grateful to the Maine Credit Union League, the Maine Bankers Association and Finance Authority of Maine for partnering with me on this proposal. It had bipartisan support in 2019 and I’m hopeful the same will hold true now. There is no reason it should be politicized now.”

Please support our union brothers and sisters and ask your legislators to support LD 2113!
 

Use this form to send a letter to your State Rep & Senator to ask them to support LD 2113