Key figures accused of harassment, bullying and attacks as US employees work without pay to keep services running
As the US federal shutdown enters its second month, government workers are accusing the Trump administration of being “out of control” and bullying people who are “simply trying to do their best”.
The shutdown surpassed 35 days this week, beating the previous record set under Donald Trump’s first presidential term. About 700,000 federal employees are furloughed without pay, and about 700,000 additional federal workers have been working without pay through the shutdown.
Affected workers say the shutdown has been a continuation of attacks they have experienced under the Trump administration, from mass firings – many of which have been overturned or blocked in federal courts – to drastic budget cuts, pushes to take early retirements or resignation buyouts, and threats of withholding back pay for workers furloughed during the shutdown.
Six of one…
The point is that Thanksgiving is coming up, and a lot of people are already making early travel plans.
No, you’re saying very different things
We are not saving money by not paying controllers right now, for many reasons:
ATC gets paid after the shutdown anyway (including even more overtime than normal, which costs more)
Many controllers are going to be paid, even without working sectors. Either through sick leave, or performing other duties when reporting unfit to work traffic
The vast majority of costs are simply running the airports, which we still have to do even when throughput is reduced
Processing the complex payments after government resumes is going to cost more money due to the increased complexity of the process
Six of one … means you’re not seeing the forest for the trees.
The reason is unimportant, it’s the shutdown that matters.
You’re technically right, but the main thing is the shut down.