Don’t Give Federal Workers A Dime In
Back Pay
Issues & Insights,
by
The Editorial Board
Original Article
Posted By: RockyTCB,
10/31/2025 9:34:18 AM
The largest federal employee union wants to end the government shutdown with “no half measures, and no gamesmanship,” and is demanding that everyone get full back pay. Those who have worked without being paid should be compensated. But those who didn’t should get nothing.
“It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today,” the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 820,000 federal workers, tweeted Monday, and “put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay — today.”
Why should government employees be paid for work they didn’t do?
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Reply 1 - Posted by:
felixcat 10/31/2025 9:49:59 AM (No. 2024042)
Agree and I am a retired federal employee. Early in my career, I was an essential employee (federal correctional officer) and I worked during multiple shutdowns and no one dared to call in sick like the spoiled brats of the FAA (air traffic controllers who BTW have The Best Compensation package of all categories of federal employees - better than law enforcement). Do you hear news stories of Border Patrol or ICE agents calling in sick? How about correctional officers or the USDA Food inspectors? Nope - just the whiny ATCs. And only because they know how they can damage this country by practically shutting down the commercial aviation industry. If they belong to a credit union like DOT, Navy Federal or PenFed or USAA Banking - all of these companies are offering zero to very low interest loans during the shutdown. No excuse to do the Door Dash jig.
10 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
chumley 10/31/2025 9:50:38 AM (No. 2024045)
I always wondered about that. In the past back pay was a certainty so all this shutdown talk was just bluster and posturing. Like Shakespeare said, it was a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
I dont know where they get their numbers though. The agency where I worked the average salary was not $143k. Only a couple high level executives came anywhere near that. Mine was about $70 before taxes. I was a master tradesman with 43 years experience when I retired. I made the conscious decision to take the lower pay of federal employment for the better job security. So quit making up inflated numbers. It takes away from your argument.
6 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Encore 10/31/2025 9:53:45 AM (No. 2024052)
Give them back pay with money from the DNC.
8 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
kdog 10/31/2025 10:01:54 AM (No. 2024063)
At the beginning of a shut down they should all be laid off, just like what happens to us peasants.
12 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
Strike3 10/31/2025 10:39:16 AM (No. 2024093)
Sorry, can't do it today. Friday is pack the bag and catch the afternoon flight home for the weekend day.
2 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Dodge Boy 10/31/2025 10:51:45 AM (No. 2024103)
My daughter works in the federal courts in Denver and has been working a normal Monday to Friday schedule for four and a half weeks now - for free. Not just pretend work but real work. The rest of her court staff colleagues are doing the same. Their first take on it - if you did the work during the shoomer shutdown, you should be compensated for it. Their second take on it - if our soldiers in uniform and air traffic controllers aren't being paid, suspend all congressional salaries and pay them with the savings proceeds.
10 people like this.
Is it any wonder that I do not trust the federal government? Let the federal workers go find employment in the private sector, i.e. the real world.
And why don't I trust the federal government? Two words: Lois Lerner.
4 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
stablemoney 10/31/2025 11:39:10 AM (No. 2024139)
People working that have not been paid, should be paid. People not working should not be paid. Furloughed workers are never paid in the private sector, and should not be paid in the public sector. I am tired of the media whines that federal workers can't buy groceries. They are paid 1.5 times private workers and know the potential shutdown dates. Federal workers know the risks, and should plan accordingly. If not capable of managing this, I can't see how they would qualify for a job above the bottom rail.
10 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
DVC 10/31/2025 12:26:33 PM (No. 2024163)
Sounds good to me. No back pay.
4 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
cor-vet 10/31/2025 5:56:12 PM (No. 2024281)
If they're non-essential, sitting at home and doing nothing, they should get two weeks pay and be fired. Government workers (?) jobs are not sacred. They can learn to code!
1 person likes this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
Catahoula 10/31/2025 6:16:09 PM (No. 2024291)
Federal workers. Does this include the rats in the House and Senate who have hurt the American people? I think there ought be a law. When the gov. shuts down, no one gets paid. Especially all "lawmakers." No salary for Senators or House members. They ought to be the first to get their money removed. They all sit in their cozy offices, sipping spirits, smoking high cost cigars. Gut and Cut their pay now, No worries or concerns for us. None.
2 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
franco 10/31/2025 11:15:41 PM (No. 2024374)
During the spring of 2018 I had the distinct displeasure of making a round trip, by car, to a suburban DC (northern VA) locale for a funeral. On my way out of the swamp on I-95 heading south that afternoon, every other car had a "RESIST" bumper sticker affixed to it. If there's a way to make sure none of the cretins driving those cars get a penny in back pay, I'm all for it.
0 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
downnout 11/1/2025 12:04:51 AM (No. 2024386)
I believe the $143,000 average government salary includes base salary AND benefits.
0 people like this.
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