Relieved But Wary Government Workers Stand Down, For Now

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

Picketlines and rallies by government workers in DC and across the country today were called off after Friday night’s last-minute budget deal averted a threatened shutdown of the government. “This was just Round 1,” warned AFGE Political Director Bob Nicklas. “Bigger fights are ahead over the 2012 budget, the Deficit Commission and the debt ceiling.” In addition, Nicklas said, Congressman Jim DeMint (R-SC) has introduced legislation to strip federal workers of their collective bargaining rights. " From Capitol Hill to Wisconsin and states across the country the fight is the same,” Nicklas told Union City, “anti-government, anti worker politicians have declared war on the middle class, their wages, benefits and the critical services they count on every day. We're fighting back and we are going to fight back even harder in the days and months ahead.” AFSCME Council 26 Executive Director Carl Goldman agreed, saying “I’m worried that the budget deal will have a negative effect on federal programs and federal workers' job security,” and adding that “I am also angry that closing corporate loopholes and raising taxes on millionaires and billionaires wasn't ever seriously considered in the budget talks." Goldman told Union City that he plans to keep the “We Want To Work For You” t-shirts (l) Council 26 ordered handy; “This was a dry run and we may yet need them.” – report by Chris Garlock, photo by Adam Wright; photo: as the threat of a government shutdown loomed Friday, dozens of government workers rallied outside the US Department of State at noon [r], chanting “We want to serve” and urging Congress to “Stop playing chicken with our country!”