APWU Officers Join Protest to #StopTheShutdown

On January 10, APWU officers and members joined hundreds of furloughed federal government employees, labor leaders, congressional representatives and other allies on the steps of the “House of Labor,” the AFL-CIO, to demand an end to the government shut down and resulting “lockout” of 800,000 federal employees.

American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) National President J. David Cox clarified, “I’d like to make sure that everyone knows that this effort and extortion is more of a lockout than a shutdown.”

“We’re either locked out of our jobs, or we’re locked into our jobs without pay,” Cox continued. “It’s even more of an accurate description that I would say it’s a shakedown, brothers and sisters…what’s being held hostage? Our tax dollars are being held hostage. The government programs we’ve all paid for are being held hostage. Our members jobs and paychecks are being held hostage.”

“Like everyone else, I have bills -mortgage, heat, water…and my student loans still need to be paid,” U.S. Department of Justice Research Librarian Janice Fridie said. “My creditors want cash, not IOUs.”

Hundreds marched together down 16^th Street, straight to the White House, to telling President Trump: ‘END THIS SHUTDOWN – NOW!’

The shut down is negatively affecting all people of this country with inspectors unable to enforce regulations on food and other goods, affordable housing applications unable to be reviewed and approved, and power grid monitors off the job and unable to ensure the safety and security of our communities.

Additionally, as furloughed Kennedy Space Station Industrial High Voltage Technician Steve Ching explained, “this is true trickle down economics…no paychecks means: no gas for our cars, no money for our prescriptions, no money for groceries, no money for our utilities, and no money for our mortgages and rent. These are all affected businesses in our community that will see a downturn in their ability to make money.”