I write this article two days before Veterans Day, when we honor the service of our military veterans. Well over 300,000 of them, who serve their country again as civilian federal employees, have now gone a record 40 days without pay. That’s no way to show respect for their past and current contributions, or for the service of their co-workers.

About two of every three federal workers, veterans included, have been going without pay,1.4 million out of a 2.1 million person workforce. Some 670,000 are furloughed and not working or receiving pay, while 730,000 excepted (essential) employees continue to work and are likewise unpaid. Some money has been moved around by the administration to temporarily pay some law enforcement personnel and active military members.

On November 4, the Trump Administration sent a message to federal workers, threatening to deprive them of back pay when the shutdown ends, in contradiction of a 2019 bill, signed by Trump, that assures payment to these workers after future shutdowns end. This is just the latest show of disrespect in a year that’s been full of them.

Like many other workers, too many federal employees live paycheck to paycheck. About 350,000 federal workers make less than the $62,000 median national salary. Federal employees have family members who may well be dependent on them -- children, partners, parents, and others. A lot of collateral damage is being done to family members, and also to local businesses in large and small communities across the nation.

It’s been exceedingly difficult for federal employee unions to mitigate the harm to excepted employees, who are not eligible for unemployment benefits, or allowed to convert to temporary employment with their agencies. In severe hardship situations, requests for any adjustments are subject to approval by management. These include requests for leave without pay, requests for use of earned leave benefits, and requests for the ability to work at home “episodically” to limit transportation expenses and/or to be available to another household member. Union stewards are kept busy providing guidance, and filing grievances in response to unreasonable denials.

We are hearing heartbreaking stories from the frontlines, where frustration and tears are all too common, and mental health breakdowns and suicides are growing concerns. Employees are visiting food banks in growing numbers, often for the first time in their lives. They are selling personal and household items, using credit to pay their bills, and taking out loans from their retirement accounts and financial institutions. Repaying student debt is a huge problem. Working a second job to pay the bills is officially discouraged and subject to management approval. The non-profit Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund offered $150 microgrants until their $1 million fund was tapped out a few weeks ago.

Federal employee unions have suffered massive loss of membership, staff, and resources at the worst possible time, thanks to the anti-union attacks they and their members are enduring. Nonetheless, at all levels, organized labor is providing guidance, training, and information about available resources. The Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) stepped up by conducting a pair of virtual training events last month, with WorkSource and the Washington State Employment Security Department as partners in the presentations.

They also posted a moving October 29 story in The Stand, entitled "It Feels Like I Can’t Stop the Bleed," in which State Department of Health employee Milo Nicholas tells what happened to him when the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) was included in the shutdown. He was temporarily laid off by the state, because his work was funded by WIC, and had to borrow from his mother to pay his rent. A Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) Local 443 Vice President and Shop Steward, Milo tells a compelling story. Had he been one of the Federal employees working on WIC, he might have been understandably afraid to tell his story. In the article, the WSLC recommends that donations to union families be made to the Foundation for Working Families, which can donate up to $500 per union member.

With 45 million Americans losing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding, including 900,000 Washingtonians, there is a desperate need that can only be met by well-funded food banks. More and more, federal employees are among those in need of food. Please be generous, and show patience and compassion when dealing with federal workers who are under attack.