Explain to me how it is a shutdown if they are still working without pay?

[KentuckyWoman]

If we can't pay the TSA then shut down the airports. If we can't pay the coast guard bring them all home.

If we are going to shut it down then just shut it down. Yes, I do understand the consequences. I don't at all take lightly the idea of shutting down the entire air transportation system. I also don't take lightly telling workers they can show up and work without any pay or else get fired. That is beyond inappropriate. People are between a rock and a hard place... for a political stunt.


I think the old saying poop or get off the pot applies here. Either the Republicans are going to shut it down or they aren't. Decide. Then let the consequences fall where they fall. If they think they are so in the right on the wall then go ahead, destroy the economy with a shut down of the nation's airports. Just do it. I dare you

[at140]

1. They will get paid in full when..

the shutdown ends. I think that is what happened in previous shutdowns.

[Wellstone ruled]

2. Legislation has to move and be signed

in order for this to happen.

[Igel]

5. 2/3 of the way done.

https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2019/01/furloughed-feds-poised-receive-back-pay-after-house-sends-measure-trump/154099/

About 350,000 federal employees currently on furlough are all but assured to receive back pay, with the House on Friday sending a measure to President Trump's desk to guarantee retroactive compensation once the partial government shutdown ends. Trump has indicated to lawmakers he will sign the legislation.

Might even be signed by now, for all I know.

[at140]

6. Since that legislation has always happened before,

I just can't see the congress not over-riding a veto if done by the jackass in WH.

[Wellstone ruled]

13. Things are going to get real ugly

before this ends. The latest thread this afternoon coming from a Rethug Operative is this will not end until the Workers just stay home and the inconvenience to the uncaring hits home.

[RockRaven]

3. The fact that they can force people to keep working even while not being paid is what

is allowing the shutdown to last so long. If the federal government was truly shut down, or even if just the people not being paid did not show up to work, the effects would be so dangerous and calamitous that the GOP Senate would have passed CRs already.

This is hostage-taking without paying the full price for having done so.

[zaj]

14. Where is the lawsuit blocking the forced labor?

[former9thward]

17. Already filed and thrown out.

Judge denies request to pay air traffic controllers, other federal workers during shutdown

A federal judge in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday denied a request by unions, including for the nation's air traffic controllers, to force the government to pay workers who are continuing on the job during the shutdown.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said that only Congress can appropriate funds and granting the requests by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and another union would cause public chaos.

“It’s hard not to empathize” with federal workers during the government shutdown, Leon said. “They’re not the ones at fault ... I don’t doubt that there’s real hardship felt.”

However, he said the shutdown is a “political problem,” and the judiciary cannot get involved.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/judge-denies-request-pay-air-traffic-controllers-other-federal-workers-n958971

[EffieBlack]

4. Most government employees are furloughed and most office are closed

The workers who are deemed "essential" and therefore required to stay on the job
- like law enforcement and TSA - are just getting more media attention.

[at140]

7. yes, a friend needs a passport for a flight already booked,

and she might be SOL.

[cwydro]

11. Booking an international flight when one doesn't have a passport is pretty poor planning.

Shutdown or no shutdown.

[at140]

15. Actually she has a passport! Just can't find it now,

and needs a replacement. And the 2 week long vacation in Spain was planned a few months back.
My daughter is in her group, but luckily the other 2 in the group have passports.

[cwydro]

16. Well, good luck to her!

Maybe she’ll find it.

[Igel]

8. Not most. Far less than half.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/omb/budget/fy2018/ap_7_strengthening.pdf
The report claims 2.1 million civilian workers. Over 1 million active-service non-civilians. That's a year or more ago, so who knows what the payroll currently looks like.

https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2019/01/furloughed-feds-poised-receive-back-pay-after-house-sends-measure-trump/154099/
350,000 are furloughed.
About 500,000 are working without pay.

I'm really tempted to just take the 800k figure that most are citing--I'm assuming there's some rounding that's going on to account for the "350,000 + 500,000 = 800,000" math we're left with--and divide it by the 2.1 million. But I know that some of those affected aren't civilians, so it's not quite that simple. Most reports are that about 1/4 of the workers are affected, which makes the force that they're considering about 2.4 million. At the same time the reports are trying to make the news newsier, so they're motivated to make the percentage affected as large as possible. So I'll call it at a bit under 25% total affected.

So around 10% are furloughed. Could be a couple of % higher or lower.

[EffieBlack]

9. I stand corrected on the numbers of employees furloughed vs. working without pay

But my point about the shutdown stands.

[dsc]

12. that is because only part of the government is shut down

Interior, homeland security, the DOJ, the courts, and some other parts. But about 8 departments were funded for the year.

[TheFarseer]

10. What really sucks is

People that cant take their planned vacations or get off if kids are sick. Sucks enough you have to go to work and will only get paid god knows when and other people arent going to work and will get paid the same as you.