Brian Bryant, International President of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union), has called on Congress to reach a bipartisan agreement to fund the federal government and prevent a shutdown. The IAM Union represents 600,000 members, including tens of thousands of federal employees and contract workers who would be impacted by a lapse in government funding.
Bryant emphasized the need for cooperation between both political parties. “The IAM strongly urges a bipartisan funding solution, which should be negotiated in good faith to reach a solution between both Democrats and Republicans to offer a temporary funding measure and avoid a shutdown,” he stated.
He also criticized the White House over reported threats to use a shutdown as justification for firing federal workers. “The IAM also strongly condemns the White House’s threat to use a shutdown as a means to justify illegally firing scores of federal workers. Threats of such an action are unjust and cruel to civil servants, many of whom are Veterans who have already sacrificed and given so much to our great nation,” Bryant said.
Bryant highlighted the essential roles played by federal employees in areas such as food inspection, social security administration, air traffic control, TSA operations, and military service. He added that these workers should not be used as leverage in political disputes: “Federal workers should not be treated as political pawns in such a fight. These civil servants are so crucial for our nation, from our food inspectors, to social security, air traffic controllers and TSA agents, and even to the military personnel we depend on every day to keep our nation moving forward.”
The statement noted that IAM includes representation for approximately 110,000 federal employees through its affiliate organization National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM). In addition to direct federal employees, Bryant drew attention to private sector contract workers who often do not receive backpay after government shutdowns end: “Government shutdowns are even more destructive for our private sector federal contract worker membership, who work alongside federal employees and perform equally essential work for our nation and often do not get any backpay at all after a shutdown ends.”
The union is urging lawmakers in Washington D.C. to act swiftly before services are disrupted for both public sector employees and contractors.
