Federal workers say: 'Let us work!'

by Les Bayless

This article was reprinted from the January 6, 1996 issue of the People's Weekly World. For subscription information see below. All rights reserved - may be used with PWW credits.

WOODLAWN, Md. - Angry federal workers, short of money and patience, rallied at the national headquarters of the Social Security Administration (SSA) demanding action to reopen the government. Members of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) marched in a cold, driving rain, in one of several protests around the country.

The shutdown has idled over 250,000 federal employees. Eight hundred thousand workers, both working and locked-out, received only half pay in checks received this week. As the shutdown enters its third week, evidence continues to mount that the shutdown is having disastrous consequences.

The processing of Federal Housing Administration mortgages has been halted, 200,000 people are waiting for passport applications to be processed and federal funds for Medicaid and other programs such as OSHA and Meals on Wheels are limited.

Administration officials said that 9 out of 10 workplace safety complaints are going unanswered. Employees at the "work-in" at SSA gave dramatic examples of how the shutdown is affecting beneficiaries as well as workers.

Jake Villella, who processes disability claims, said that the backlog of claims has reached one million and "it's getting worse every day. The public would not believe how bad this situation is."

John Reusing processes international claims at SSA. He says his office cannot return long-distance phone calls or pay postage for claims mailed outside of the U. S.

Each day of the shutdown, the government cannot service the normal 23,000 passport applications; 2,500 Federal Housing Administration loans; 60,000 new and replacement Social Security numbers and 20,000 applications for college loans and grants.

Joseph Jones is an administrator of the Federal Employee Education and Relief Association, a trust funded by private contributions to help needy federal employees. He said the fund is nearly bankrupt as a result of thousands of hardship cases that have been coming in to his office. Jones said the fund was unable to provide assistance to a retired federal employee who was dying of cancer.

The rally was organized by AFGE Local 1923. President John Gage, Local 1923 president, said government employees weren't organizing slowdowns or sickouts, though such actions would be justified. "We're trying to take the high road," he said. "We have a contract of our own with the American people to keep their benefits coming."

Gage said that such actions would divert blame for the shutdown from where it belongs -- on Congress and the Republican leadership.

Local 1923 is one of the largest federal union locals in the country with 8,000 members. Gage said he hopes the rally will be a spark to workers all over the U. S. and inspire them to take similar action.

Congressman Ben Cardin (D-Md.) was heckled and booed in the SSA auditorium by workers who said they were tired of excuses from lawmakers on Capitol Hill. One worker shouted, "You're getting paid, aren't you? Why don't you give up your paycheck!"

Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) received a little better reception than Cardin. She charged that Republicans were out to "destroy civil service" and called for "peace talks" in Washington that had the same intensity as talks on Bosnia and the Middle East.

She defended action by Senate Democrats that killed a "compromise" negotiated by President Clinton, Bob Dole and Newt Gingrich last weekend. Under the agreement, federal workers would return to work Jan. 2 but without pay or authority to spend any money. A worker could not, for example, turn on their computer or make a telephone call. In return for this "concession," Democrats would agree to "fast track" negotiations and no filibusters.

Democratic Senate leader Tom Daschle denounced the deal as a "facade." Federal workers, he said, "would be required to sit on their hands and stare at each other day after day until we pass something that gives them the right to do something."