Washington, DC — Larry I. Willis, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issues this statement in response to a partial government shutdown:
“Failing to fund nine federal agencies is nothing to boast about. The latest partial shutdown of our government will directly impact millions of federal workers, place a strain on our nation’s transportation system, and have broad economic consequences.
“Specifically, more than 420,000 federal workers will be asked to report for duty without knowing when they will be paid. Another 380,000 workers will be asked not to come to work at all, and face uncertainty of knowing when they will work again.
“Make no mistake: this shutdown was preventable and was directly caused by the ever-changing positions of the president. Because of this recklessness, for the third time this year, America’s federal workforce, and the people and communities who rely on government services, are being held hostage.
“Federal workers — including those who play a vital role in keeping our transportation system safe and secure — are real people with families to feed, not political pawns to be sacrificed on a whim. We urge Congress and President Trump to do what is right for our nation’s federal workforce, our country, and our economy and fully fund the government.”