The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union) has called on Congress to reach a bipartisan agreement to fund the federal government and prevent a potential shutdown. The union represents approximately 600,000 members, including tens of thousands of federal employees and contract workers.
In a statement released by IAM International President Brian Bryant, the union emphasized the need for both Democratic and Republican lawmakers to work together on a temporary funding measure. “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,” said Bryant.
Bryant also criticized reported threats from the White House regarding possible mass firings of federal workers if a shutdown occurs. “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,” he stated.
He added that using federal employees as leverage in political negotiations is inappropriate: “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.”
The IAM Union includes thousands represented by the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM), an affiliate with about 110,000 federal workers nationwide.
Bryant highlighted that government shutdowns can be especially harmful for private sector contract workers serving alongside federal employees. According to him, these individuals often do not receive back pay after shutdowns end: “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.”
