Shutdown stories

[formergothardite]

If this keeps on, what will it do for our economy? Trump has himself backed into a corner and I don't see him giving in anytime soon. The democrats also don't need to give into him no matter how tempting it will be.If this messes up our economy it might give the GOP a push to make him end this. They don't want to go into the 2020 election with a bad economy on their hands. 

[AmericanRose]

If Obama or Clinton (probably even Bush) had tried this hissy over one issue that the majority doesn't even want... a shutdown wouldn't have happened (or at least, wouldn't have lasted so long). Congress would have banded together to over-ride the presidential veto.

But this is Trump, and Republicans must bow to him. ?

[SilverBeach]

I realize that I am better off than many feds, as I have resources and do not live paycheck to paycheck. However, being without a paycheck for an extended period concerns me also, as dipping into resources for stupid bullshit like a furlough is not a good situation and there are costs associated with doing so. The health care flexible spending account will not issue any reimbursements until we return to work, among other things. No thrift savings plan contributions are being made, resulting in a loss of investment income. I will be glad when I am retired and all this shit is in the rear view mirror.  Social security payments and pension payments continue during furlough. folks making those payments are excepted.

It is important to remember that furloughed people are still Federal employees and are in many cases subject to restrictions on outside employment. Also, we have no idea when it will end, and the end will be as sudden as the start. Maybe someone could get a temp assignment for a week or so, but even then they would have to be prepared to leave that assignment and go back to their federal job at a moment's notice.

Funniest shit ever...orange fuckface saying this is not a furlough, it is a strike. Which federal employees support. He should have been article 25ed a long time ago, cuckoo.

[smittykins]

2 hours ago, catlady said:

the bolded part a hundred times over.  it's not 1965 where you could turn in a paper application, the manager reads it, and says "i like your moxie.  you can start tomorrow at 9am."  on-boarding for my company takes anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks.  the candidate applies online, a group of applications is reviewed, the best matches are selected for an interview.  if there are a lot of qualified candidates, there will be at least one more interview.  when a position is offered, the candidate goes for drug screening*, a criminal background check is performed, and after everything comes back positive, the new hire may need to wait for the next scheduled training session to start.  granted, we are a healthcare organization, so other industries will bypass formal training periods.  then, depending on pay cycles and start dates, the first paycheck could still be 2 to 3 weeks out.   so you're right--"just getting another job" is not a realistic option for most furloughed workers.

*in my state, drug screening is pretty much universal.  last summer while i was out dog walking, i saw a young man exit the local hardware store several yards ahead of me; he was holding some papers.  he walked to the neighboring plaza and went to the store-front lab (a chain in our region that performs all manner of bloodwork and related procedures).  it was pretty obvious that he was a new hire going for screening.  and this was for a job in a local retail business that has less than a dozen locations.

And it’s not like you can just go directly from high school to an entry-level position at the local factory.

[nvmbr02]

6 hours ago, CTRLZero said:

 

A TSA employee my husband is acquainted with unfortunately started the furlough on vacation status.  I'm not sure of all the details, but the employee was told he will not be compensated with back vacation pay, so there are some odd situations out there.

 

It doesn't make the situation as a whole any better but my husband was on vacation for 2 days of the last long shutdown (2013 I think?) and he ended up with backpay for those two days and wasn't charged any leave for it. Basically (at least for his agency) if you are on leave you are put on furlough status. If congress then approves back pay for furloughed employees you are included. Since you were furloughed you are not considered on leave. You are still depending on Congress approving the backpay, which isn't a guarantee but it is likely to happen. We are in the same boat this time, as my husband had taken Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off since it was literally the first time since he started working here he was able to get both days totally off (in 15 years!!) So, he was furloughed those days and we wont know for sure until the government reopens if he'll be paid those days or not but we were wiling to take the risk since we had been looking forward to that time off since he put in for it... in October of 2017. We have to chose his vacation time in October the year prior when new schedules are bid on, so sometimes it is 14+ months ahead of time we have to make our vacation plans. 

[nausicaa]

22 hours ago, SilverBeach said:

It's actually working for delayed pay. Those of us who are non-excepted are not guaranteed to get paid like the excepted folks are. It well and truly sucks for us all though because none of us have cash flow.

Except contractors. No back pay for them.

I'm a contractor but my Federal agency has enough reserves to get us through the shutdown. I do wonder how many non-DC, non-government employee voters understand just how much money government shutdowns cost taxpayers and how empty of a political stunt it is. They will end up paying for all of this "leave" anyway. Contractors will still need to meet the burn rates on their contracts. Not difficult, because when both govies and contractors get back to work, both typically work overtime to catch up on projects. 

Then there's the unwise electoral strategy of it-- shutdowns are (unsurprisingly) universally unpopular in the D.C. metro area. Those are a whole lot of purple areas likely to swing toward the other party...

[onekidanddone]

1 hour ago, nausicaa said:

Except contractors. No back pay for them.

I'm a contractor but my Federal agency has enough reserves to get us through the shutdown. I do wonder how many non-DC, non-government employee voters understand just how much money government shutdowns cost taxpayers and how empty of a political stunt it is. They will end up paying for all of this "leave" anyway. Contractors will still need to meet the burn rates on their contracts. Not difficult, because when both govies and contractors get back to work, both typically work overtime to catch up on projects. 

Then there's the unwise electoral strategy of it-- shutdowns are (unsurprisingly) universally unpopular in the D.C. metro area. Those are a whole lot of purple areas likely to swing toward the other party...

Apparently I’m not out of work oh no. I’m on ‘strike’. 

[nvmbr02]

@CTRLZero  I forgot to address another part of your post, but yes Air Traffic Controllers are excepted (working) but a good portion of the support staff is furloughed. The training academy is in Oklahoma City and is closed. 

[AmazonGrace]

 

[WiseGirl]

Sarah Kendzior. Enough said (wasn't sure where to put it).

[onekidanddone]

Yesterday morning I wake up with a jolt, looking at the clock I see it is 7:00 and the kitchen light and the light in my daughter's room is off.  She has to be out the door by 7:05 to get to school on time and I start to scurry into her room to get her up.  Then I realize it is Saturday ?.  

Only two weeks and I'm already thrown off base .. all the days are melting into each other.

Oh and did you all know Trump can relate to all the people out of work? Why yes boys and girls, he knows that all of us will adapt because we adapt (paraphrasing, but you all get the drift)

[SilverBeach]

23 hours ago, nausicaa said:

Except contractors. No back pay for them.

Yes I realize the shutdown impacts more than Federal employees, but my comments are from a Federal employee perspective as I have never been a contractor.

Can contractors be compelled to work for no pay since they are not Federal employees? I know one contractor at my agency on duty during the shutdown and he said he is getting paid his regular paycheck. Congress cannot.will not authorize back pay for contractors, unfortunately.

[nausicaa]

1 minute ago, SilverBeach said:

Yes I realize the shutdown impacts more than Federal employees, but my comments are from a Federal employee perspective as I have never been a contractor.

Can contractors be compelled to work for no pay since they are not Federal employees? I know one contractor at my agency on duty during the shutdown and he said he is getting paid his regular paycheck. Congress cannot.will not authorize back pay for contractors, unfortunately.

It's illegal for any contractor to do work for a Federal client for free, during shutdowns or not. I can't even work an extra hour for my client without logging it (it's a contractual law thing). 

If a contractor is declared essential personnel, they will continue to work and receive a paycheck. However, for the contractors not working (which is the majority), they will receive no pay now or later. Depending on how long the shutdown drags on, that can really begin to affect even frugal people's budgets. Existing Federal projects may fall apart as in-demand contractors move on to other jobs if they can't go multiple weeks/months without pay.

And at least in my building, even the security guards and convenience store workers are contractors. So it can really hurt low-income workers who rely on every paycheck. 

[onekidanddone]

11 minutes ago, SilverBeach said:

Yes I realize the shutdown impacts more than Federal employees, but my comments are from a Federal employee perspective as I have never been a contractor.

Can contractors be compelled to work for no pay since they are not Federal employees? I know one contractor at my agency on duty during the shutdown and he said he is getting paid his regular paycheck. Congress cannot.will not authorize back pay for contractors, unfortunately.

Being a Fed, I have to abide by particular rules when it comes to unemployment and taking other jobs. Can a contract with an agency be considered broken if the shutdown goes on, and can the contractors be placed else where?

Fed or contractor this sucks, the pain is going to filter down to people not directly employed by the Government.

[onekidanddone]

At this very moment I'm listing into a telephone town hall with my union. There is going to be a rally on Thursday and I'm thinking of going.

ETA: The rally will be at noon in front of the AFL CIO HQ in the District. 

[Cartmann99]

18 minutes ago, onekidanddone said:

Fed or contractor this sucks, the pain is going to filter down to people not directly employed by the Government

I'm sure some private business owners and their employees are already feeling it. People are understandably cutting their expenses to try and make it through the shutdown, so there's fewer customers to go around.

[Briefly]

Of course, the timing of the shut down is just coincidental.  Right.  Sure.  The fact that the new term started and he can blame the democrats is just a coincidence.  Sure.  (Is there a sarcasm icon? I'm not sure which one to use)

[AmazonGrace]

 This administration runs like a trainwreck

[onekidanddone]

Day 17:

• Tump is still a sociopath.
• I'm going to have to take more out of savings to pay medical bills today.
• The dryer timer doesn't work so I have to stop it manually. Was planning to get a replacement, and then the WALL happened, 
• It is almost time to replace my daughter's Epi at the tune of 700+ (that is my co-pay folks) each and she needs to have two.
• Tump is still a sociopath.

[mamallama]

I know it doesn't solve most of your problems but have you looked into the off brand epipens (or epinepherine auto injectors).  Our ambulance corps switched and our medical authority is very strict so I think they must be good quality.  It's a slightly different mechanism but basically the same and I think they're about $40 each.

[onekidanddone]

31 minutes ago, mamallama said:

I know it doesn't solve most of your problems but have you looked into the off brand epipens (or epinepherine auto injectors).  Our ambulance corps switched and our medical authority is very strict so I think they must be good quality.  It's a slightly different mechanism but basically the same and I think they're about $40 each.

No, I haven't looked into different brands, but I will now. Thank you ❤️

[AmazonGrace]

What about the Space Force. 

 

[WiseGirl]

Senator Murphy again.

[AmazonGrace]

Signs that it's not about security 

 

[AmazonGrace]