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"On behalf of the 390,000 members of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), I want to convey to you, and to the federal workers you represent, our solidarity during this upheaval." — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
Ottawa (17 Jan. 2018) — In a letter to David Cox, the President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Larry Brown, the President of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) pledged his support in the ongoing dispute between the U.S. Congress and the federal government.
U.S. government partial shutdown forces workers off the job
"On behalf of the 390,000 members of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), I want to convey to you, and to the federal workers you represent, our solidarity during this upheaval."
The federal government has been in shutdown mode due to a dispute between the President and Congress. Congress must approve funding for the government's operations, but if an agreement is not reached, most government business comes to a halt. The major stumbling block is the President and his Republican party's desire to secure enough funding to build the wall between the U.S. and Mexico. The Democrat-led Congress opposes the move. During this time, most federal employees are off work without pay, while some workers in essential services positions are being forced to work without pay.
"We know the important role federal employees play in providing the public services people need in their communities," wrote Brown. "This shutdown is putting those people, some of them from vulnerable communities, at risk. This is on top of the chaos that has been created for those workers who are now on an unpaid leave, as well as for those who must report to work and who are not getting paid. They all are struggling to keep their families functioning during this political dispute."
"We appreciate the work your union is doing to fight these transgressions by your efforts to promote a peaceful and just resolution," Brown wrote.
Brown concluded the letter saying, "Along with our solidarity, we send our gratitude: thank you for protecting the rights of public employees, democracy and human rights. If there is need of our assistance in any way, please do not hesitate to call on us,"