A sign announcing the closure of the Library of Congress is seen on the first day of the government shutdown in Washington on October 1. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- Federal employee union leaders and members say being furloughed or still working, but without pay, has created personal hardships as the government sits largely idle during the second week of a shutdown.
And for many, the shutdown over funding has deepened concerns about the long-term erosion of the federal workforce. Agencies already operating with limited staffing could face additional strain as employees decide public service is not worth the stress and leave.
"It's my opinion that we have functionally been in a shutdown, or at least a partial shutdown, for eight months now," said James Kirwan, legislative affairs director of the National Labor Relations Board Union.
"Since January, one-eighth of the federal workforce is gone. That's over 300,000 federal workers who were either fired or pressured to take the deferred resignation program. As a result, a lot of programs are dealing with much smaller capacities."
