Senate Democrats are facing pressure from a growing coalition of labor unions to end the nearly month-long federal shutdown by voting for a clean continuing resolution to fund the government.
Despite its long history of supporting Democrat candidates, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has publicly called for Congress to “pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today.”
“A strong America requires a functioning government — one that pays its bills, honors its commitments, and treats its workforce with respect by paying them on time,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said in a statement.
“The path forward for Congress is clear: Reopen the government immediately under a clean continuing resolution that allows continued debate on larger issues,” he added.
AFGE represents more than 800,000 members, including veterans, law enforcement officers, border agents and civilian defense workers, who have gone almost four weeks without a paycheck because of the closure of federal agencies.
On Thursday, the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations, the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots, and the Allied Pilots Association each issued separate statements urging Congress to pass a clean stopgap funding bill to reopen the government.
Their statements came in the wake of a similar appeal by the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) the day before.
“Considering the strain on our nation’s aviation system, SWAPA strongly urges Congress to pass a clean Continuing Resolution to fund the government,” SWAPA President Capt. Jody Reven said. “Our air traffic controllers and the broader air traffic system are already operating under immense pressure — a government shutdown only compounds that stress and threatens the efficiency of our skies as we see the impact of reduced controller availability at facilities across the country.
“Likewise, TSA professionals continue to show up every day to safeguard the traveling public, even without pay,” Reven continued. “These men and women deserve our full support and the certainty of a paycheck.”
Combined, these organizations represent approximately 100,000 commercial airline pilots. The aviation industry has been particularly hard hit during the shutdown, as air traffic controllers continue to work for no pay or take other jobs and safety operations remain threatened at airports nationwide.
Under normal conditions, around 5% of all flight delays are caused by staffing shortages.
According to the Transportation Department, that number has jumped to 53% as a result of the shutdown.
Roughly 19,000 flights were delayed and 1,600 were cancelled across the country between Oct. 18-20, while flights into Los Angeles International Airport were halted over the weekend due to a shortage of air traffic controllers.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing more than 1.3 million truck drivers and logistics workers, has also called for a clean CR and an end to the shutdown.
“A shutdown will hurt working people. Period,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien wrote on X Sept. 30, the day before the government closed. “American workers are not bargaining chips.
“Senators should stop screwing around and pass the House-passed clean, short term funding bill.”
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