URGENT! GOVT. SHUTDOWN INFO YOU NEED!
- Sue Milne
- Oct 1
- 3 min read
IMPACTS OF THE FED. GOV. SHUTDOWN ON WORKERS

The federal government shutdown that began at midnight last night will hurt us all. We are sending out this urgent message because our neighbors and friends and union families need to understand who is doing this and why, and its impacts and stakes.
First of all, the partisan politics in DC will be playing a blame game, but this is NOT A GAME for the American people – especially the nearly 750,000 federal workers* who will be furloughed or fired or forced to work without pay.
Second, as of November 1, health care premiums are estimated to increase by a whopping 114 PERCENT, driving millions of people off their health care and raising premiums for everybody, even those with employer-provided policies. (Both expiring ACA premium tax credits and massive cuts to Medicaid will drive 15 million people out of health care access.)
Third, services we all depend on – from schools, to hospitals, to airports, to state and local programs – will be reduced, frozen, and underfunded. Both SNAP food benefits and FEMA funds are likely to dry up before this is over. The timing couldn’t be worse, given the coming storm season and job-loss impacts that will ripple into our regions.
And all of this could have been avoided if those in charge of the House, Senate, and White House had just protected people’s health care access. But they would rather fund billionaires’ tax breaks instead. And now they’re sowing chaos and blaming their political opponents.
Unions are trusted voices when the mud starts flying. It is essential that we all understand what is happening and how to fix it. You all, as union leaders, are being called to join us in getting out the word on social media, in your communities, at job sites, and wherever you are able to lift your voices. Your message should be simple:
Ø Stop the Trump shutdown.
Ø Fund the government.
Ø Fix the health care crisis.
Ø Put working people first.
For social media posts:
You can also call your US Senators and Representatives by calling them at 844-896-5059.
Tell them to get to work, fund the government, and stop the health care crisis.
For more, check out this video of AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpY-C-Fdt-s
* These are the people who care for our veterans, deliver Social Security checks on time, keep our food and water safe, and protect us at airports and during natural disasters. This administration has already pushed about 1 in 8 federal workers––300,000 people––out of their jobs this year alone. Now, Russell Vought, the Project 2025 author turned Office of Management and Budget director, is threatening to use a shutdown to illegally fire even more federal workers after months of chaotic firings and rehirings.
We know that there is a lot going on in your world -- not the least of which is the National Guard deployment and its implications for our communities -- so we truly appreciate your collaboration as we get the word out to all our 60,000 workers in our four-county region.
And don't forget that as things get worse, the workers who are struggling the most may be able to be referred to Labor's Community Service Agency (LCSA) at 503-231-4962.
In solidarity,
Laurie Wimmer
Executive Secretary-Treasurer,
NW Oregon Labor Council
Email: est@nwolc.org
Cell Phone: 503-804-5362