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They say it is 50/50 there is going to be a government shut down and the media is deficient in the reporting of it's ramifications.
They keep saying that about a million government workers will be send home. About half of the Federal Employees who don't work in the military and post office. The other half are so called essential workers.
What they are not reporting on is an even larger number of Contractors who work hand in hand with the Federal Workers at the Government offices that are not considered essential and will be shut down.
My wife is a hard working woman working at the Federal Offices of the Department of Commerce in DC and is a government contractor and is paid by a private company. She says that almost half of the workforce at the huge complex she works at is a contractor and are told that if the government shuts down they will be sent home and will not be paid. The Federal Workers will most likely get paid eventually for the time they did not work, the contractors will not.
Why isn't this being reported in the media? There are a lot more contractors than government employees doing work for the Federal Government.
I am talking specifically about contractors working at government offices who can't work if the federal offices are not closed. Yes I understand that some of the contractors who don't work at the closed federal offices will be allowed to keep working during he shut down. But not my wife and thousands of other contractors who work at federal offices.
Contractor, what is your management team telling you about he shut down?
I've seen some things mentioning contractors, but you're right that just federal employees are mentioned more often. My guess is that it's just easier? With contractors it can be harder to tell who will or won't be sent home. This is just a guess, though, I have no idea.
Personally, I think the odds are better that some last-minute solution will come through and then they'll get to arguing about the debt ceiling.....again.
Also...is it really only half of non-military/USPS? For my agency we only have 3 "essential" employees (basically the main political appointees):
Quote:
Originally Posted by I'm Retired Now
About half of the Federal Employees who don't work in the military and post office. The other half are so called essential workers.
Contractors work for private industry. That's why.
But the action of no federal budget and spending authority impacts the contracting workforce, which is larger than the total number of federal employees. 2 million feds, 7 million contractors.
But the action of no federal budget and spending authority impacts the contracting workforce, which is larger than the total number of federal employees. 2 million feds, 7 million contractors.
It also impacts citizens and the country in general. It affects small business/mom and pop outfits that rely upon commerce from federal employees and contractors. There are a ton of these type businesses positioned nearby or even within federal workspace. These are not newsworthy either.
The reality is that contract shops do have the option to pay their employees assigned to federal contracts for workdays lost to a shutdown. But they must do so from overhead or other capital and may not bill the federal contract. They might give employees the option to use paid leave. The fact that they often refuse to pay employees for circumstances beyond the employees' control is less about government funding and more about the contracting company's principles.
It appears that about half of the Federal Government Contractors in the Greater DC area are going to work because the Congress has passed a law that will pay for the Military, Civilian Pentagon workers and Defense Contractors during the government shut down. Maybe a good idea for the troops themselves who are risking their lives, but now the defense contractors and civilian employees can go back to spending money on $15,000 toilets and writing needless reports in all those Office Towers around DC while the National Parks, etc. are closed.
It appears that about half of the Federal Government Contractors in the Greater DC area are going to work because the Congress has passed a law that will pay for the Military, Civilian Pentagon workers and Defense Contractors during the government shut down. Maybe a good idea for the troops themselves who are risking their lives, but now the defense contractors and civilian employees can go back to spending money on $15,000 toilets and writing needless reports in all those Office Towers around DC while the National Parks, etc. are closed.
the lobbyists pimp the government and the government
pimps the contractors. it's a vicious cycle. everyone
feeds off each other until it all goes bust but the top
dogs always eat.
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