Dear Member,
Like you, we've heard the reports of the White House considering withholding the backpay of federal employees furloughed during this government shutdown. This is clearly another attempt by this administration to bully and intimidate the federal workforce.
The frivolous argument that federal employees are not guaranteed backpay under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act is an obvious misinterpretation of the law. It is also inconsistent with the Trump administration's own guidance from mere days ago, which clearly and correctly states that furloughed employees will receive retroactive pay for the time they were out of work as quickly as possible once the shutdown is over.
As we've said before, the livelihoods of dedicated federal workers serving their country in the federal government are not bargaining chips in a political game. It's long past time for these attacks on federal employees to stop and for Congress to come together and end this shutdown.
And make no mistake, we will challenge any effort to withhold the backpay of federal employees furloughed during this shutdown.
In Solidarity,
Everett Kelley
AFGE National President
