‘Put Working People First’: Unions Respond to Government Shutdown
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued the following statement after the federal government’s funding expired at midnight and a shutdown began:
The federal government is shutting down right now because President Trump and his administration chose chaos and pain over responsible governing. Now, countless jobs, the essential government services we all rely on and the economy powered by our workforce are in jeopardy—all because the administration wants to take one more swing at wrecking the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and throwing working people off our health care.
Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are being locked out and stand to lose the paychecks their families depend on. Federal contractors, including custodians and cafeteria workers, won’t have the assurance of back pay. It’s not Washington politicians who are at risk here—it’s working people just like us, more than 80% of whom live outside D.C. and 30% are veterans. These are the people who get our Social Security checks out on time, keep our food and water safe, care for our veterans, and protect us at airports and during natural disasters. Under the administration’s Project 2025/DOGE agenda, federal workers have been fired, rehired and fired again. They’ve been stripped of their collective bargaining rights and union contracts. Now, President Trump is shutting down the government, using federal workers as pawns and threatening to illegally fire them—all to avoid fixing the mounting health care cost crisis that will hurt millions of Americans.
The labor movement’s message to the administration is clear: Get to work. Fund the government. Fix the health care crisis. Put working people first.
The Trump Administration Health Care Cost Spike Will:
Raise health care costs for everyone—including those with employer-based coverage and those who purchased insurance through the ACA marketplace—as Trump and Republicans’ Medicaid cuts and failure to extend the ACA tax credits for families force hospitals and clinics to absorb billions in unpaid costs as millions lose coverage.
Spike insurance premium costs by 114% for some 22 million people.
Drive up costs for the 179 million people with employer-based insurance who could be forced to pay $485 more per person per year—a nearly $2,000 a year price hike for a family of four.
Destroy 130,000 health care jobs, which, along with those stolen by the Medicaid cuts, will total 607,000 health care jobs lost.
Other advocates for working people weighed in on the shutdown. Here's what they said.
AFGE National President Everett Kelley:
When the government shuts down, American families pay the price. Congress must stop playing politics with the livelihoods of federal workers and the communities they serve, end this shutdown immediately, and stop holding workers hostage.
Federal employees, a third of whom are veterans, are patriotic Americans who provide essential services to communities across the country. These employees should be able to do their jobs free of political interference. Instead, these employees and the services they provide are being thrown into chaos because Congress refuses to act.
Making matters worse, President Trump and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought are threatening to illegally fire mass numbers of federal employees during the government shutdown to inflict further pain on communities and workers across the nation—an action we are already challenging in court.
It’s time for Congress stop the political theater and end this shutdown to prevent unnecessary suffering of American families across the country.
AFSCME President Lee Saunders:
As families across the country are crushed by skyrocketing health care costs, anti-worker extremists in Congress are driving a shutdown rather than funding public services, protecting care for millions and keeping hospitals open. The administration and its yes-men and women in Congress created a health care crisis that has pushed our system to the brink of collapse and now they’re treating federal workers like bargaining chips. They’re threatening the very people who inspect our food, protect our water, and keep our communities safe, all to shield tax breaks for billionaires and corporations that don't need another dime.
This shutdown is a one-two punch for working families: On top of crumbling health care access, communities will now lose critical federal services they depend on every day. Workers understand that this is a choice, and that anti-worker politicians chose to protect billionaire wealth while abandoning the rest of us. Enough. It’s time to stop playing games with our health, our jobs and our families. Fund the government. Fix the health care crisis. And put working people first.
American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten:
The American people are always the ones hurt when the government shuts down. It locks out workers and hurts Americans who need government services. This one was completely avoidable if President Trump and the Republicans who control the government had decided to address the healthcare emergency they created in their July omnibus bill rather than defund the government. Under that bill, clinics and rural hospitals will be forced to close or slash services. Millions will lose their health insurance, and those who keep it will have to pay thousands of dollars in higher premiums––all so corporations and the ultrarich can pocket even more in tax giveaways.
And tonight, they made it worse. Rather than stopping premium hikes for millions of Americans losing their healthcare subsidies, they are holding the American people hostage, refusing to fund essential services unless their harmful policies remain in place. On top of that, they’re again hurting federal workers and the essential services they provide by threatening illegal mass layoffs.
In 2018, under Trump, we saw the first actual shutdown in recent history when one party controlled both Congress and the White House. This is now the second. Fix healthcare, open the government and make workers—not chest pounding—the focus. We call on those in power: Negotiate a solution—one that protects healthcare, lowers everyday costs, reopens the government and helps, rather than hurts, the American people.
Fire Fighters (IAFF) General President Edward A. Kelly:
Thousands of federal fire fighters showed up to work this morning knowing they won’t be paid due to the government shutdown.
This kind of political brinksmanship in Washington has real consequences for those protecting America’s military installations, national laboratories, and other federal facilities. It’s not only unfair—it’s irresponsible.
The IAFF is again calling on Congress to pass a clean continuing resolution that reopens the government, ensures federal workers are paid, and allows the full-year appropriations process to continue. It’s the only responsible path forward.
Federal fire fighters are doing their jobs. It’s time for Congress to do theirs.
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) President Matt Biggs:
Since his first day in office, President Trump has made clear that he does not appreciate the role of a professional civil service or understand the link between the work of our dedicated civil servants and the vast services they provide the American public. That we find ourselves at this point should come as a shock to no one. The only surprise is that there is actually something this administration doesn’t want to own: a completely avoidable government shutdown. The president and his followers in Congress can continue their feckless propaganda campaign aimed at blaming everyone else for this failure, but the fact remains that their party controls all three branches of government. Fortunately, rational members of the House and Senate stand ready to negotiate a path forward, end the shutdown, fund the government and fix the looming healthcare crisis. We are hopeful that there is a quick end to this shutdown. In the meantime, IFPTE continues to urge Congressional leaders to pass a truly bipartisan funding measure that also includes ironclad impoundment prevention language.
Ironworkers:
The International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental, and Reinforcing Iron Workers is sounding the alarm after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement to keep the government funded and protect Americans from rising healthcare costs. The union is urging elected leaders to put people over politics and end the shutdown immediately.
“Ironworkers know what it means to bargain in good faith. We do it every day to secure fair contracts, good wages, and quality healthcare for our members and their families,” said Eric Dean, General President of the Iron Workers. “We expect our government to be just as capable of compromise as the men and women who keep this country running. Workers deserve stability, affordable healthcare, and the dignity of a paycheck—not more political gridlock.”
The Iron Workers Union stands with working people across the country and calls on Congress and the White House to keep healthcare affordable, fund the government, and get workers back on the job and paid.
National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA):
Today, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) expressed its disappointment that Congress was unable to reach an agreement to fund the government and NATCA called on legislators to end the government shutdown as soon as possible.
Government shutdowns reduce the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS) and erode the layers of safety that allow the flying public to arrive safely and on-time to their destinations. During a shutdown, critical safety support staff are furloughed, and support programs are suspended, making it difficult for air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals to perform at optimum levels.
NATCA supports Secretary Duffy’s comprehensive plan to “supercharge” controller hiring to alleviate the 3,800 shortfall of fully certified controllers and ensure that the system is staffed with the best and brightest air traffic controllers. NATCA also supports Secretary Duffy’s vision for modernizing the air traffic control system. However, both of these critical initiatives could experience delays during a government shutdown
“Congress must act now to end this shutdown,” said NATCA President Nick Daniels. “When the federal government shuts down it introduces unnecessary distractions and our entire aviation system is weakened. Congress must restore federal funding so that the safety and efficiency of our National Airspace System is not compromised.”
As a result of the shutdown, more than 2,350 NATCA-represented aviation safety professionals are furloughed. This includes aircraft certification engineers and aerospace engineers. Critical safety and technology work, as well as operational support, will not be performed while these workers are furloughed.
Air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals employed by the FAA whose work is necessary for the safety of life or the protection of property are classified as “excepted” employees and are required to continue working without pay during a shutdown. This includes controllers who are already working mandatory overtime that requires them to work six days a week, 10 hours a day.
“The increased stress and fatigue that comes from working long hours without pay cannot be overstated,” Daniels said. “Despite the shutdown, there is one thing that will not change—air traffic controllers are incredibly proud of the public service they provide, and they will answer the bell without fail. They will continue to perform the vital work they do throughout the shutdown to safeguard our National Airspace System. They will guide you home.”
National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM):
Once again, the dedicated federal employees who keep this country running are being used as political pawns in a reckless power struggle,” said NFFE National President Randy Erwin. “These are the workers keeping our military ready, caring for our cherished veterans, maintaining homeland security, protecting our national forests, parks, and other public lands, guaranteeing clean air and clean water, safe food and safe air travel, secure borders and secure passports, and performing countless other essential services vital to the American people.
I am disgusted that federal employees—hard-working middle-class folks, nearly one-third of whom are veterans—are being treated like dirt by our elected leaders who cannot seem to do their jobs and get reach an agreement on spending. With this government shutdown, hundreds of thousands of federal workers are going to have their pay suspended while being furloughed or made to work without pay until the shutdown ends. Many federal employees live paycheck-to-paycheck and cannot sustain any period of suspended pay without enduring significant hardship. This shutdown must come to an end soon.
To make matters worse for federal employees, the Trump Administration issued a memo directing agencies to consider widespread firings due to the shutdown. The law is very clear that this Administration has no new authority to engage in mass layoffs during a government shutdown. This means the Administration is either planning to violate the law yet again or it is using this opportunity to frighten and antagonizing America’s dedicated civil service workers. Both reasons are appalling and completely unacceptable.
Congress and the White House need to do their jobs and get a funding bill passed. Generally, that process requires negotiation with the other party. It generally requires some compromise. Get the decision-makers in a room, engage in meaningful discussions, and get a deal done. The American people deserve better than this.
National Nurses United (NNU):
National Nurses United (NNU), the nation's largest union and professional association of registered nurses, with more than 225,000 RNs, is calling on Congress to pass H.R. 5450/S. 2882. The Continuing Appropriations and Extensions and other Matters Act of 2026 would not only restart the government but also save lives by restoring health care funding and assistance, while ending the Trump administration’s unprecedented power over government spending.
Nurses are very clear that Republicans are to blame for any government shutdown; they manufactured this impasse by refusing to negotiate with Democrats as a means to further degrade and gut critical public services and to advance an agenda to privatize vital functions currently provided by the federal government for the greater public good.
Trump’s and the Republicans’ track record show they have zero interest in maintaining a government to serve its people. With Republicans controlling both houses in Congress, and the White House, President Trump has already cut some 150,000 government employees who provided critical services across the country and around the globe. Trump is using this shutdown to continue to slash government programs and fire federal workers. Trump has said he could “get rid of a lot of things that we didn’t want, and they’d be Democrat things.” Nurses expect the administration would bring its axe down on programs it has already attacked, including the Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more. These cuts would further set the stage for privatization.
The only departments where Trump and the Republicans have increased resources are in areas such as homeland security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which are focused on attacking U.S. residents and making war on Democrat-run cities.
“This administration wants to privatize and therefore monetize public services, without regard for working people and vulnerable communities,” said Mary Turner, RN, and NNU president. “The Trump administration’s only desire appears to be to placate and please the billionaire class and to declare war on our country’s own people. This was abundantly evident in the passage of H.R. 1 which gave corporations and the ultra-rich huge tax breaks while stealing health care coverage from 16 million people.”
Nurses support the Democratic continuing resolution proposal because not only does it curb Trump’s power and keep the government open, it reverses the impending health care cuts from H.R. 1, the budget reconciliation bill that Republicans passed in July.
“When the Republicans passed H.R. 1, they voted to upend an already fragile system,” said Turner. “If Congress doesn’t act immediately to reverse these cuts, our patients will suffer from going without care. They will have to ration their prescriptions and face bankruptcy just to see a doctor. Experts predict more than 50,000 people will die unnecessarily each year because of these cuts.”
Additionally, the massive Medicaid cuts in H.R. 1 will cause economic devastation for independent and community hospitals, which will lead to cuts in services and even hospital closures.
National Nurses United sent a letter to members of Congress expressing our concerns and demands. That letter can be accessed here.
Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU):
Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS):
The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO (PASS) warned today that a government shutdown could jeopardize the administration’s plans to modernize the nation’s air traffic control system. “At a time when there is much-needed focus and movement to reshape and revamp the nation’s air traffic control system, it is troubling that Congress has not been able to pass a continuing resolution or full appropriations bills for fiscal year 2026,” said National President Dave Spero.
PASS represents approximately 11,000 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Defense employees throughout the United States and abroad. These employees install, maintain, support and certify air traffic control and national defense equipment, inspect and oversee the commercial and general aviation industries, develop flight procedures, and perform quality analyses of complex aviation systems used in air traffic control in the United States and overseas. The employees at the FAA work in the Aviation Safety directorate, Technical Operations, Air Traffic Services, Mission Support Services and Flight Program Operations.
“The employees PASS represents at the FAA are going to play a critical role in the plans to modernize air traffic control,” continued President Spero. “Shutting down the federal government is never in the taxpayers’ best interest and certainly not good for the National Airspace System (NAS).”
Of the employees PASS represents, 60% will be on the job but not getting paid. About 30% will be furloughed initially but subject to recall and 10% will be furloughed.
The employees PASS represents across all lines of business at the FAA are understaffed and doing more with less. The Technical Operations workforce will be critical to modernization efforts, and while the agency has plans to hire more technicians, hiring would be put on the back burner. The aviation safety inspector workforce is also understaffed, and the current FAA staffing model falls short in accurately determining the required number of aviation safety inspectors, even in light of the oversight failures at Boeing in recent years. “The FAA needs to be fully staffed at every position if the agency wants to implement the president’s vision for modernizing the air traffic control system,” said President Spero.
During a shutdown, training for the technician workforce, including new hires, will stop and employees currently at the training academy in Oklahoma City will be recalled. “It can take three to five years to fully train a technician,” said President Spero. "Any lapse in training can push the clock back significantly."
The modernization plans are welcomed by PASS and a shutdown, even a brief one, may slow those efforts. The dedicated public servants the union represents want to be a part of this process and need to be on the job, fully staffed and adequately trained. “All of these employees are part of the aviation ecosystem who work on behalf of the American flying public,” said President Spero.
PASS calls on congressional leaders to come together as quickly as possible to resolve the funding issue and have all federal employees get back on the job and paid in a timely manner.
Department for Professional Employees (DPE) President Jennifer Dorning:
President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ unwillingness to work with Democrats on a responsible funding solution has shut down the government. Now there will be real harm to the American people. Federal employees, members of the military, and people working for federal contractors who have dedicated their lives to serving this country will not be paid while the government is shut down—even if they are still required to report to work. Perversely, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought has said he will use a shutdown as pretext for another illegal mass firing of federal employees. The government shutdown’s harm extends beyond the federal workforce. The government shutting down impacts veterans, retirees, and every one of us who relies on government programs and services. I urge the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans to do their jobs and work across the aisle to fund the government and end this shutdown.
Transportation Trades Department (TTD) President Greg Regan and Secretary-Treasurer Shari Semelsberger:
As America’s largest transportation labor federation, representing millions of workers in aviation, maritime, transit, rail, and other sectors, we implore Congress to work in a bipartisan manner to swiftly end the first government shutdown in seven years.
When the federal government shuts down, thousands of federal employees are furloughed while their work is put on hold. Tens of thousands of public servants, including aviation workers, Transportation Security Officers, rail safety inspectors and civilian mariners, are being forced to work without timely pay, while some government contractors are working without the guarantee that they will ever receive the compensation they are owed. A government shutdown reduces federal safety oversight, strains airport security, and delays much-needed infrastructure and planning projects. In just one week of a shutdown, impacts on tourism and travel could cost the economy $1 billion, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
The Trump Administration has already eliminated a significant number of federal employees, and these additional staffing reductions continue to undermine critical government services. The President’s threat to fire federal workers instead of furloughing them would have untold lasting negative impacts. The livelihoods of civil servants and their families must not be leveraged or reduced to political bargaining chips.
We urge Congress to prioritize the safety of transportation systems, workers, and passengers by coming to a resolution that funds the federal government and works on behalf of American families. Interruptions to crucial public services hurt not only the workers who provide them, but also the American people who rely on them.
Alaska AFL-CIO:
This morning, 11,658 Federal workers in Alaska woke up to the news that they will no longer be receiving a paycheck. Why? Because Congress and this administration failed their most important task, passing a budget. Because of their inaction, Alaska's workers will struggle to put food on the table for their families. Many affected workers may still be required to report for duty, even though they won't be paid. While the government may shut down, the bills for Alaska's working families will keep coming.
This shutdown comes on the heels of millions standing to lose coverage due to Medicaid cuts and price hikes under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Insurance premium costs will increase by 114% for some 22 million people, just before open enrollment begins on Nov. 1. Hospitals and clinics will absorb and pass along billions in unpaid care costs, driving up premiums for everyone––whether you get your insurance coverage through work or the ACA marketplace.
Federal workers are not political pawns. Our message to Congress and the administration is clear: Stop this reckless government shutdown. Fund the government. Fix the health care crisis. Put working people first.
Just like during 2018's disastrous shutdown, the Alaska AFL-CIO stands ready to support Alaska's federal workers and their families.
California Federation of Labor Unions President Lorena Gonzalez:
It is tragic that this Trump Administration and the Republicans in Congress have forced a shut down of our federal government, putting at risk 150,679 federal workers in California and accelerating an impending healthcare crisis for all Americans.
It is truly unconscionable that these politicians are willing to strip millions of workers of their healthcare and drive up the cost of insurance for the rest of us just so that their billionaire friends can become even wealthier. Shame on them all.
Florida AFL-CIO President Kimberly Holdridge:
“Floridians need to know that this shutdown is all about devastating cuts to healthcare access in order to provide tax cuts for the richest, most powerful individuals and corporations in America,” Holdridge said. “As millions of our most vulnerable lose healthcare, a basic human right, mansions will be built, mega yachts will be purchased, and the unjust wealth gap will explode. That is what this shutdown is all about. It is not about politics or parties; it is about people. Donald Trump and his billionaire buddies can end this now by allowing congressional leaders to negotiate and return basic healthcare access to everyday Americans.” President Holdridge also said, “our hearts go out to all the workers who are devastated that they can’t do their jobs and to the Floridians who rely on their service. We will stand with them and support them every step of the way.”
This shutdown will lock out hundreds of thousands of federal employees from doing their jobs while forcing hundreds of thousands of essential workers—like TSA officers, VA caregivers, and Border Patrol agents—to work without pay. That reduces access to services and pulls billions out of local economies.
The Florida AFL-CIO will be mobilizing its 1.3 million union members, retirees and their families to flood congress with calls and emails demanding that Republicans in Congress step away from extremist Trump and negotiate for the American people. Hundreds of thousands of worker's jobs and access to healthcare for millions is on the line.
Georgia AFL-CIO:
From Warner Robbins and Augusta to Atlanta and Columbus, federal workers in Georgia will have to choose: pay the rent or buy groceries? Utility bills or medication? While the government has shut down, bills will keep coming. Over 81,300 federal workers in Georgia will go without paychecks. The folks getting hurt here aren't politicians, but federal workers—and their families. The administration is creating chaos and suffering, even threatening to illegally fire thousands of workers if the government runs out of funding. This is unacceptable.
Maine AFL-CIO President Cynthia Phinney:
For months, the Trump administration and DOGE have targeted federal employees and gutted federal programs we all rely on, without any accountability. Now the President is shutting down the government because he refuses to bargain in good faith and fix the healthcare crisis that will devastate our rural hospitals and jack up health care costs for working class Mainers. Without a funding agreement, nearly 180 million Americans are facing a health care cost spike—a crisis of the administration’s own making. Upwards of 31,000 low-come Mainers will lose coverage and Maine’s struggling hospitals will lose $24 billion in annual revenue due to the President’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act.’ In addition, health insurance costs through the Affordable Care Act marketplace will more than double if enhanced subsidies expire at the end of the year. Working families and our rural hospitals simply cannot sustain this massive blow to their budgets—especially while billionaires get tax breaks.
This administration has already pushed 1 in 8 federal workers—300,000 people—out the door this year alone. The President has illegally stripped more than 1 million workers of their collective bargaining rights and canceled nearly 480,000 workers’ union contracts. These are men and women—nearly 30% of whom are veterans—who deliver essential services to Mainers like Social Security, food and water safety, protecting our national security and care for our veterans. To add insult to injury, the President has announced that he intends to retaliate by firing more federal employees and eliminating programs Mainers rely on. The attacks on workers must end.
Federal workers and their families should not be used as pawns to play political games. It’s time for the President to end the shutdown, fund the government, fix the healthcare crisis, and stop his illegal attacks on working Americans.
Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bernie Burnham:
It’s unfortunately no surprise that President Trump and the Republican majority in Congress have allowed our nation’s government to shut down. Since this administration came to office, it has clearly been their priority to make life as difficult as possible for our nonpartisan government workers and their families.
Whether it was DOGE’s reckless firings or taking away union rights from tens of thousands of workers with a stroke of a pen – Donald Trump and his allies in Congress are using federal workers as political pawns.
Make no mistake, Republicans control the White House and both chambers of Congress – they can end the shutdown at any time. If this avoidable crisis continues, not only will more than 18,000 workers in Minnesota be forced to go without pay, but hundreds of thousands more will see their health insurance become unaffordable.
We call on the Trump administration and Republican Congressional Leaders, especially Majority Whip Tom Emmer, to end the shutdown, fund our government, fix the healthcare crisis, and put working people first.
New Jersey State AFL-CIO:
At 12:01 AM ET on Wednesday, October 1st, the federal government shutdown after the Senate failed to pass a last-minute government spending bill. As a result, nearly 750,000 federal workers will be locked out from their jobs, put on leave, and forced to work without pay. The Trump administration has threatened to illegally fire thousands of workers if the government runs out of funding.
It's not just federal workers who will be impacted by the shutdown. Without a funding agreement, 180 million Americans will bear the brunt of a health care cost spike, and the delivery of essential services such as SNAP and Social Security, will be slowed or delayed.
The situation that the shutdown puts everyday Americans in is dire. On November 1, Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces in most states will begin to open for enrollment for next year. Unless Congress acts, more than 90% of people enrolled in ACA health care plans will see out-of-pocket premiums jump by more than 75% on average. Millions could lose coverage altogether when a key tax credit drops at the end of the year. Higher costs for Affordable Care Act health care plans ultimately will result in higher health care costs for everyone—including people who get their health insurance through their jobs.
Combined with the Trump-backed Medicaid cuts passed earlier this year, 179 million people with job-based insurance could see their health care costs rise as much as $485 a year. That’s a $2,000-a-year price hike for a family of four.
The longer this shutdown continues to drag on, the more impossible choices working families will have to make between paying their rent or buying groceries, or between paying for their medications, and keeping the lights on.
Working people are not political pawns. We urge you to reach out to your member of Congress and our U.S. Senators to urge them to put a stop to the shutdown. Click here for a list of office locations and phone numbers.
Our message to the administration is clear: Stop the shutdown. Fund the government. Fix the health care crisis. Put working people first. We urge both parties to come to an agreement that will protect federal workers and make health care affordable and accessible for all Americans.
New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento:
I want to thank Governor Hochul for consistently demonstrating the kind of leadership we urgently need, a stark contrast to the void of leadership in Washington.
To be clear, this shutdown and all the pain it will cause lies squarely on the Administration and Congressional Republicans.
Their calculated, cruel, and chaotic decisions will harm every American as healthcare costs soar. In addition, this will lead to the loss of jobs for countless dedicated public servants, whom we deeply respect and appreciate, and put at risk the vital services they provide to the American people.
We need united leadership that will bring people together and prioritize the needs of everyday working people.
The Union Movement in New York State stands together. We will fight this outrageous assault on working people with all the strength of our collective resolve.
North Carolina State AFL-CIO President Braxton Winston II:
On behalf of North Carolina’s labor movement, we are disappointed to wake up this morning to find out that federal workers are once again being used as political pawns by partisans in power. Regardless of one’s political beliefs, these two things are true at the same time: the livelihood of thousands of North Carolina families depend on wages earned through providing essential government services AND over 614,000 North Carolinians stand to lose their access to affordable health care unless Congress takes action.
The policy pathway is clear. The politics, not so much. The NC State AFL-CIO encourages members of Congress and the White House to do their job—fund the government, get people back to work, and ensure Americans won’t go broke while getting the health care they deserve.
North Dakota AFL-CIO:
Today's unprecedented federal government shutdown is the culmination of an administration hell-bent on destroying our federal workforce and accelerating an impending healthcare crisis, so billionaires can profit even more on the backs of our working families in North Dakota.
Here in North Dakota, 5,736 federal workers will go without paychecks. North Dakota's federal workers are vital to the economy and our communities. These are the caretakers who serve our Veterans at the VA in Fargo, the scientists who work with farmers to improve our food system at the Agricultural Resource Service, the inspectors who keep our groceries and workplaces safe, the workers who make sure our families get the federal services they deserve, and the civil servants who play a vital role keeping the military installations in our state running.
Over 23 thousand North Dakotans will lose their health insurance, and tens of thousands more will see their healthcare costs spike in the next few months—unless we do something now. We need Congress and the administration to come together and protect our working families from the unnecessary and cruel policies that have accumulated in Washington over the last few months. These cuts to healthcare will harm our rural healthcare facilities, forcing many to close. We will see families fall even further behind due to rising medical costs, forced to choose between sickness or debt while the billionaire class rakes in bonanza profits.
Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga:
The federal government shutdown is a direct result of the Administration and Congressional Republicans once again choosing to side with billionaires over hardworking Americans and failing to address the nation’s skyrocketing health care costs.
Since Donald Trump returned to office, federal workers have been under constant attack. These are the people in our communities who care for our veterans, deliver Social Security benefits on time, ensure the safety of our food and water, and protect us at airports and during national emergencies.
In just months, the Administration has stripped more than one million federal employees of their collective bargaining rights and canceled union contracts for nearly 500,000 workers. This blatant union-busting campaign threatens not only the livelihoods of federal workers but the quality of life for millions of Americans who depend on their services.
Now, President Trump is holding the country hostage—refusing to keep the government open unless his administration’s demands are met, rather than working to tackle the pressing health care cost crisis or undo the damage of the radical cuts in his previous “Big, Ugly Bill."
The Ohio labor movement stands in unwavering solidarity with all federal workers, their families, and every Ohioan who depends on the vital federal services. We will continue to fight alongside them until this unnecessary and harmful shutdown is brought to an end by the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans.
Tennessee AFL-CIO President Billy Dycus:
Partisan politics in Washington are once again leaving working people to pay the price. Here in Tennessee, more than 32,000 federal workers will either be forced to work without a paycheck or be furloughed altogether. At the same time, nearly 300,000 Tennesseans’ healthcare is now in jeopardy.
These are not just numbers; they are our neighbors, families, and our union brothers and sisters. They are TSA officers who keep our airports safe, VA hospital staff who care for our veterans, and countless others who keep our communities running every single day. They should never be used as bargaining chips in a political fight.
Working people deserve stability and respect, not uncertainty and hardship. We urge our elected officials to put aside partisan games and work together to come to a solution; one that ensures Americans across the country don’t suffer because of egos in Washington.
This shutdown is avoidable. What’s not avoidable are the consequences for hardworking Tennesseans if leaders continue to put politics over people.
Texas AFL-CIO:
“Trump and his billionaire buddies have taken our government hostage until their demands are met — and Texas families will pay the price,” said Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy. “Federal workers across our state have already endured hiring freezes, RIFs, and cuts at offices like the Department of Defense, Department of Education, and every other public service job. It’s immoral and irresponsible. The Texas labor movement stands in strong solidarity with all federal workers, their families, and every Texan who receives federal services, and we will fight alongside you ‘til this shutdown is ended by the Trump Administration.”
The shutdown will lock out hundreds of thousands of federal employees from doing their jobs while forcing hundreds of thousands more—like TSA officers, VA caregivers, and Border Patrol agents—to work without pay. That reduces access to services and pulls billions out of local economies.
Washington State Labor Council:
The federal government shut down at 12:01 a.m. eastern time, furloughing thousands of employees, interrupting essential public services, and sowing chaos in the lives of working people across the U.S. Here in Washington state, the scope of disruption is still being determined. But amid the uncertainty, one thing is clear; this harm in the lives of working families could have been avoided.
Congressional democrats had been pushing for negotiations over expiring tax credits that helped keep healthcare coverage accessible, recognizing that even with subsidies, health insurance costs eat into many working families’ budgets. Without these tax credits, four million Americans would lose coverage, and 20 million more would likely see costs rise. Democrats are also holding out to reverse cuts to Medicaid and other health programs included in H.R. 1, which is projected to rip healthcare coverage from another 10 million people to give tax breaks to billionaires and corporations. Even the 179 million workers who receive health insurance through their employer or thanks to collectively-bargained agreements would likely face cost increases due to Republican healthcare policies.
Rather than negotiate a path to keep healthcare costs from spiking, the Trump administration has threatened to fire even more federal workers, using working people as a bargaining chip rather than seeking to protect the livelihoods of working families.
“The consequences of this shut-down lie at the feet of the anti-worker politicians who refused to negotiate a compromise that would keep healthcare costs from spiraling out of control for working families,” said Washington State Labor Council President April Sims. “The Republican-led Congress can pass the big billionaire bill to give tax breaks to corporations and the ultra-wealthy, but can’t figure out how to keep the government going, choosing instead to play political games with working peoples’ livelihoods and pocketbooks. For many Washington families, the chaos caused by this failure may be devastating.”
The Trump administration has not provided in advance the detailed information typically put forth by the federal government detailing what public services may be impacted by a shutdown, leaving the complete picture of impacts to Washington and the nation unclear. Social Security retirement and disability payments, SNAP and other nutrition support services, disaster response, and unemployment benefits should all continue. Other vital services, like data-collection, rule-making, investigations of civil rights violations, and some OSHA investigations are now in limbo. Many federal workers, furloughed or working without pay in the midst of an affordability crisis, will struggle to make ends meet. Almost 60,000 federal workers in Washington state will go without paychecks. And should the shutdown drag on or should public servants be fired, the long term consequences for the public services that working people rely on are still unknown.
“Washington’s labor movement is deeply concerned about the impacts of this shutdown on working families across our state,” said Cherika Carter, WSLC Secretary Treasurer. “The WSLC will be working with our affiliated unions and partners to identify impacts and provide support to help our communities navigate the chaos sowed by anti-worker politicians in D.C.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 10/01/2025 - 12:44
