With the federal government shutdown over two weeks and counting, federal employees in Connecticut say they’re more than ready for it to wrap so they can get a paycheck.
Father Jerry Connors is a chaplain at the federal prison in Danbury
David Fairbanks works for the TSA at Logan International Airport. For 19 days now both have been required to do their jobs with no pay due to the government shutdown.
“We’re told we have to show up and perform our jobs regardless of whether we’re paid,” Connors explained.
This is the second shutdown to impact Connors.
“It’s had an impact with a lot of my coworkers. For some of them who are younger and less fortunate than I am financially, it’s a struggle already,” he said.
He says he wants to continue to work, despite compensation, out of a sense of duty. But it’s getting hard and he wants lawmakers to do something about it.
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“Months, maybe years. That’s not really helpful to the wellbeing of people who work and commit their lives to public service,” he said.
Fairbanks travels some three hours each day from his home in Putnam to Logan, a job he calls his dream. But making that kind of commute knowing right now it’s for free is anything but enjoyable.
“I’m angry frustrated a little bit sad. I’m sad ‘cause seems like no one giving federal workers attention they need,” he said. “I do my job regardless of my paycheck because it’s my duty but duty only gets you so far and doesn’t put food on the table or roof over my head.”
With each day that the political stalemate continues in the nation’s capital, these two wonder when the fight they didn’t start will end as bills come in.
“Grow up, do their jobs and produce something of value for the citizens of this country who you represent, including your employees,” Connors said.
Connors told NBC Connecticut that whenever this shutdown ends, he’d like to see federal legislation passed that would exempt rank and file government employees from enduring these same circumstances in future shutdowns.
