Posts tagged government shutdown
Largest federal workers union warns ICE agents are not trained to replace TSA and putting them in airports ‘does not fill a gap. It creates one’
March 24, 2026 // TSA officers’ call-out rates reached their highest level of the shutdown on Sunday, with 11.76% of workers, or more than 3,450 employees, not showing up to work, DHS data showed. That included about 40% of TSA officers from George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to DHS data.
‘Empty refrigerators and eviction notices’: TSA union leaders demand end to DHS shutdown
March 17, 2026 // DHS has been partially shut down for more than 30 days as Republicans hold out for a budget proposal that fully funds all parts of the agency. Democrats have said they're willing to fund individual branches within the department, including TSA, but not Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) until the Trump administration agrees to immigration reform.
Congress guarantees furloughed feds’ back pay despite continued White House maneuvering
February 3, 2026 // The Office of Personnel Management removed citations of the 2019 Federal Employee Fair Treatment Act from its shutdown guidance last month, as the Trump administration continues to insist that the law guaranteeing all federal employees back pay after a shutdown doesn’t.
Shelbyville casino workers vote to unionize
December 9, 2025 // Data released by the Indiana Gaming Commission indicates statewide casino revenue declined about 4% from September 2024 to October 2025. Despite the revenue decline, Caesars Entertainment has indicated it will recognize its Shelbyville workers’ right to unionize.
Unions urge US judge to block 1,300 State Department layoffs
December 4, 2025 // The law, known as a continuing resolution, prohibits agencies from implementing layoffs through January 30. The Trump administration has told agencies that the law does not apply to job cuts that had been announced before the shutdown began on October 1, including the State Department layoffs that were first announced in July. The American Federation of Government Employees and American Foreign Service Association said in Wednesday's filing that the administration's interpretation of the law is wrong. They asked U.S. District Judge Susan Illston to issue a ruling by Friday morning blocking the layoffs pending further litigation.
Suntrapp workers formally unionize with owner’s voluntary recognition
December 1, 2025 // While Suntrapp has not confirmed whether it will reopen or when that will occur, Suntrapp Workers United has shown optimism for the future.
Congress Can Empower Workers Through Choice—Not Coercion
November 24, 2025 // A case in point is the legislative package that Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) introduced on Nov. 10, joined by others including Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C). They’d protect workers’ paychecks by requiring unions to get approval before spending dues money on politics. They’d also protect workers’ privacy by letting them choose what contact information unions get during the organizing process. And they’d protect workplace democracy by requiring that at least two-thirds of workers participate in union elections — preventing a minority of people from determining the fate of every employee. Another praiseworthy reform is the Employee Rights Act, which Scott introduced in the shutdown’s early days after Rep. Rick Allen (R-Ga.) previously introduced it in the House. Among its many good ideas, the Employee Rights Act guarantees the secret ballot and protects workers from intimidation and harassment. It also gives unionized workers in the 26 right-to-work states the freedom to negotiate their own contract with their employer, so they can better address their individual needs. And the Employee Rights Act guarantees that self-employed workers have maximum flexibility to design their jobs to fit their lives.
Op-ed: Democrats Caved in the Shutdown Fight. Unions Let Them.
November 13, 2025 // The main rationale provided by AFGE president Everett Kelley was that his members were suffering economically from the shutdown. There’s no doubt that this hurt is very real, and I do not doubt the sincerity of Kelley’s commitment to his membership. But AFGE’s leadership could have decided to pressure Republicans rather than Democrats to end the shutdown. That was a political choice. Rank-and-file AFGE members this morning released an open letter calling on their national leadership to oppose the deal. As one rank-and-file AFGE member wrote to me last night, “Many of us are furious at AFGE leadership
Number of federal employees exiting government this year continues to grow
October 27, 2025 // The number of federal employees exiting the government this year continues to grow. The Partnership for Public Service has added thousands more to its running tally of how many feds have left their jobs since January. The latest estimate surpasses 211,000 employees who are either already gone, or who may exit soon.
Social Security Union warns of collapse due to government shutdown
October 24, 2025 // The union that represents Social Security employees in Maine is warning of the impacts as the government shutdown continues. The American Federation of Government Employees says the Social Security Administration is on the verge of collapse as workers are continuing to work without pay. The AFGE argues that employees should be allowed to work from home during the shutdown due to the costs of traveling to the office.