BCTGM Among Thousands at Rally Calling for an End to Federal Shutdown
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11 Jan BCTGM Among Thousands at Rally Calling for an End to Federal Shutdown

Posted at 14:34h in Activism, Congress, Solidarity, Trump Administration by

On the 20th day of the shutdown of the Federal Government by President Trump and the Congressional Republicans, the BCTGM International officers and staff joined thousands of government workers and labor activists outside AFL-CIO headquarters to demand an end to the lockout of 800,000 civil servants.

About a dozen union workers spoke during the rally held outside AFL-CIO headquarters. The workers were employed at numerous government agencies, including the Justice Department, the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Park Service, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Weather Service, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Additionally, more than 20 Democratic members of Congress attended the rally.

BCTGM International President David Durkee, together with other members of the AFL-CIO Executive Council, stood on the rally stage as furloughed workers told stories of mounting financial concerns, frustration and sadness over the extended shutdown.

โ€œThis lockout is yet another manufactured crisis looking to score political points,โ€ AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka told the crowd. โ€œWorkers are fed up. We are tired of being the ones who are always being hurt. And we are not going to take it.โ€

As of today, the shutdown marks 21 days, and 800,000 full-time workers and millions of federal contractors go without another paycheck. If the shutdown continues into Saturday, it will be the longest in US history.

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House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), whose Maryland district is home to thousands of federal workers, was the first member of Congress to address the crowd. โ€œWe are out in the cold voluntarily because we care about the American people. This isnโ€™t just about government employees, this is about hundreds of millions of American people who need safety.โ€

On Thursday morning, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)ย blocked Senate Democrats from bringing forward a billย that would have allowed for a vote to end the shutdown. McConnell has refused to consider any legislation that does not include funding for President Donald Trumpโ€™s border wall.

After speakers finished, the protesters marched to the White House, chanting โ€œshut the shutdownโ€ and โ€œfurlough Trump.โ€ Smaller rallies were also held across the country in cities including Louisville, Chicago,ย and Atlanta.

 

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