NASA Civil Servant Unions: Remember The Contractor Employees
FYI @NASA employee unions: when you have these events for furloughed people remember that its not just civil servants who aren't working. Its the larger contractor community too. Civil servants will be paid. Contractor employees have no such assurances. #Governmentshutdown pic.twitter.com/LDbCbps50N
— NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) January 17, 2019
Early february is when the contractor wells start running dry and that is when the pain will really be felt. Knowing you will get paid back when this ends is comforting during the stress of trying to get through it but knowing you are headed for work stoppage without back pay has got to be worse. The contractors are always sadly aking the hits with the ebb and flow of exploration and now furloughs just add salt to those wounds.
Thanks for this, as a retired contractor, I remember the uncertainty that surrounded previous shutdowns.
Thank you, Keith. NASA lives and dies by its contractors as well as its federal employees.
A comment sent via email to NASAWatch: “Working in DC, many people take advantage of the convenient restaurants, deli’s and convenience stores often located in the office building for food and sundries during the day. In our building, there was also a dry cleaner. All of these business and the owners/workers made their living from providing services to the Govt workers and support staff located there. In addition, there were many nearby locations including the street coffee vendors, hotels and the like that catered to the Government. Most of the area where I worked (NASA HQ) was a commercial wasteland after hours as it was completely office buildings with very few living quarters. I can’t imagine any way to compensate those individuals and companies for their loses even if the Govt. folks and their contractors manage to be made “whole”.
I just wanted to mention people that seem to be left out of the conversation in this situation, not to cast aspersions or point fingers. Our local food bank is getting a real increase in requests for help now.
On a side note, the National Association of Active and Retired Federal Employees is offering small ($100) grants for members. https://www.narfe.org/index… “
As one of those mission essential contractors who is still coming in and working all I can say is that I feel a little like the guy falling from the 100th story of a tall skyscraper. As I pass each floor the only thing I can do is shout “so far, so good”, but the ground keeps getting closer and closer, and…