The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union), which represents 600,000 members, has called on Congress to reach a bipartisan agreement to fund the federal government and prevent a shutdown. In a statement issued by IAM International President Brian Bryant, the union highlighted concerns about the impact of a potential shutdown on tens of thousands of its members who are federal employees or contract workers.
Bryant stated, “The IAM Union strongly urges Congress to fund the federal government and avoid a shutdown, which would affect tens of thousands of IAM federal employees and federal contract workers, as well as countless others across our nation.”
He further emphasized the need for cooperation between political parties: “The IAM strongly urges a bipartisan funding solution, which should be negotiated in good faith to reach a solution between both Democrats and Republicans to offer a temporary funding measure and avoid a shutdown.”
The union also criticized the White House over reported threats to use a shutdown as grounds for firing federal workers. “The IAM also strongly condemns the White House’s threat to use a shutdown as a means to justify illegally firing scores of federal workers. Threats of such an action are unjust and cruel to civil servants, many of whom are Veterans who have already sacrificed and given so much to our great nation,” Bryant said.
Bryant added that federal employees should not be used as leverage in political disputes. “Federal workers should not be treated as political pawns in such a fight. These civil servants are so crucial for our nation, from our food inspectors, to social security, air traffic controllers and TSA agents, and even to the military personnel we depend on every day to keep our nation moving forward.”
IAM Union includes representation for approximately 110,000 federal employees through its affiliate, the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM).
Bryant also noted that private sector contract workers face additional challenges during government shutdowns because they often do not receive backpay after services resume. He said, “Government shutdowns are even more destructive for our private sector federal contract worker membership, who work alongside federal employees and perform equally essential work for our nation and often do not get any backpay at all after a shutdown ends.”
