The Social Security Administration on Feb. 17 told the American Federation of Government Employees that it wants to start bargaining by March 22 over how it would enact a furlough.
Jay Clary, SSA's acting associate commissioner, told AFGE that the agency has not decided to furlough employees, but that it wants to figure out arrangements in case lawmakers order a governmentwide furlough or if budget negotiations fall apart and the government shuts down.
SSA Chief Human Capital Officer Reginald Wells said the agency has largely planned who would make up a "skeleton crew" that would have to keep working during a shutdown.
"Discussions [about how to implement a possible shutdown] are happening at a very high level on a regular basis these days," Wells said.
Most of those employees [who would keep working during a government shutdown] would have to maintain computer systems, facilities, and other elements of SSA's infrastructure, or provide security at buildings.
1 comment:
Good Work. I feel very strongly that this needs to be kept in the public's mind as much as possible. Thanks for doing your part.
Also these shutdowns cost real money. The furloughed employees, and the skeleton crew employees, who did nothing productive except keep the lights on, the door open, and talk to frustrated customers, all had to be paid. Bill Clinton made sure this was publicized after the 1995 shutdown (the first, 6 day one in November.) The total cost to taxpayers or addition to the National Debt exceeded $1 billion. In 1995 dollars. A six day shutdown would cost more now.
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