ROCHESTER, Minn.-The American Federation of Government Employees says when it heard the news of a potential government shutdown on Wednesday, Oct. 1 leadership began preparing employees for the possibility of going weeks without pay.

Ruark Hotopp, a National Vice President of the AFGE, says his union has around 800,000 members nationwide including around 17,000 in Iowa and 18,000 in Minnesota.

He says as part of the shutdown union members in the TSA, federal prison security and Social Security are all currently working without pay, while members in the National Parks service are furloughed.

In the lead up to the shut down he says the union has been encouraging members to save money where they can.

After the last government shutdown in 2018 went on for over 30 days, he says it is possib

See Full Page