With the government shutdown at least temporarily ended, the American Federation of Government Employees is urging all federal employees who have been working without pay during the 35-day government shutdown to join its shutdown lawsuit "so they can recover liquidated damages for the financial harm they suffered." And 32BJ SEIU Vice President Jaime Contreras demanded that the shutdown deal include back pay for federally-contracted workers. “As the shutdown created more suffering for hardworking people by the day, we are relieved that the government is set to reopen,” said Contreras, “but we will not give up the fight until our members get the back pay the president promised and they deserve.” AFGE, the nation’s largest federal employee union, and the law firm Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch (KCNF DC) filed the first lawsuit challenging the shutdown on Dec. 31, 2018, and filed an amended complaint Jan. 9. “About 800,000 federal employees have gone without a paycheck since the start of the year due to this shutdown, which is the longest in U.S. history,” AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. said. “While the agreement reached by the White House and Congress will put employees back to work temporarily and allow them to start getting paid, we will not stop fighting until we have full-year funding approved for all our agencies and until all employees are made whole for the income they have lost.” Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy – the only unionized charter schools in DC – abruptly announced on Wednesday it was closing its middle schools and consolidating its two high schools on one campus. Chavez educators found out their schools were closing via calls from the media. “Cesar Chavez would be appalled that management at the school that proudly bears his name has treated children, their parents and their educators with such utter contempt,” said American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. “A perennial problem with under-regulated charter schools is the lack of transparency, accountability and stability. Public schools could never operate in this cavalier and specious manner. Today, Chavez management showed just how damaging that absence of accountability can be.” Educator leaders at Chavez and the AFT have launched an investigation and are considering legal action. photo: Chavez teachers in June 2017 after voting to join the District of Columbia Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff, affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers. The news on the government shutdown yesterday was as up and down as the temperatures in the nation’s capital. After the federal government’s personnel office warned workers that they would have to start paying their dental and vision premiums out of pocket or risk losing their coverage, the office then reversed course and said that wouldn’t happen until they miss a third paycheck. Then the Senate voted down dueling proposals from the GOP and Democrats to reopen the government. As the 800,000 federal workers either furloughed or working without pay face another week without a paycheck, a welcome bit of relief was offered by American Income Life, which not only extended its lay-off premium waiver but asked its union agents and employees across the country “to reach out to their federal elected officials to express their support for ending the Shutdown and getting people back to work,” CEO Steve Greer wrote to AFGE president J. David Cox Sr. “As these employees face yet another pay cycle of uncertainty,” Greer said, “the last thing they need to worry about is their life insurance premium.” AIL provides supplemental life insurance to labor unions, credit unions, and associations; AIL policyholders can click here or call 1-800-433-3405 for the waiver. Click here for the Community Services Agency’s complete list of government shutdown resources. photo: at Wednesday's "Occupy Hart demo After waging weeks-long lunchtime protests, trash collectors at the popular tourist destination Angkor Wat in Cambodia, overcame employer resistance to win a boost in pay and benefits. And in Sri Lanka, female garment workers are standing up for the rights to a workplace free of sexual harassment and gender-based violence at work through their union, the woman-led Dabindu. Find out more at the Solidarity Center. |