Federal workers act to end shutdown

Here’s how you can lend your voice to federal workers’ calls to end the shutdown, fix the healthcare crisis, and stop using working families as political pawns

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 15, 2025) — Engineers at the Puget Sound shipyard. Scientists at NOAA in Seattle. Specialists at Hanford. Park rangers at Mt. Rainier and the North Cascades. Public servants administering food aid programs. More than 70,000 federal workers in Washington state are furloughed or working without pay because of the federal government shutdown, joining 750,000 federal workers across the U.S. Even worse, workers are left wondering if the anti-worker federal administration that has already tossed out so many of their coworkers will withhold back pay once the shutdown ends.

Meanwhile more working families are starting to feel the sting of a prolonged shutdown, as the stalemate in D.C. enters it’s third week. Funding is uncertain for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, which provides nutrition and support for low-income pregnant people and families with kids under five, a program relied on by thousands of families in Washington. If the shutdown continues into November, funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is in danger. Dozens of other programs, ranging from support for education to energy bills, are facing funding shortages as federal grants are withheld.

Already struggling to make ends meet, another crisis is looming for working families: health care costs expected to sharply increase unless Congress acts to extend subsidies and undo disastrous cuts to healthcare programs passed in H.R. 1.

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler (center) rallying with other labor leaders and union members this spring. Photo: AFL-CIO

That’s a blistering level of uncertainty for working people, capping a year of chaos caused by an anti-worker administration focused on tax cuts for corporations and billionaires, not addressing the ever-increasing cost of living.

As the consequences of a shuttered federal government spread, labor is calling on the Republican-led Congress to get serious about ending the shutdown, to negotiate an agreement to keep healthcare costs from spiraling out of control, and to ensure vital public services resume.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) has taken action to directly challenge actions taken by the administration that harm working people. Together with AFSCME, AFGE is suing the Trump administration over illegal firings of federal workers during the shutdown. Labor is also organizing support around the Protect America’s Workforce Act, pushing for a discharge petition to bring that bill restoring union rights to the House floor.

As those fights continue, AFGE is urging working people to use their voices to advocate for an end to the shutdown. From hitting the streets to posting on social media, there are a few ways to support federal workers.

No Kings protests:

Federal workers will join thousands across the U.S. at No Kings protests on October 18, ensuring the long-reaching consequences of the federal shutdown are centered in this weekend’s rallies. AFGE is encouraging attendance at these events (and even has some spiffy signs available to print).

“The No Kings Day of Action occurring Oct. 18 is a coordinated effort across the country, building on the coalition’s previous day of action on June 14 that brought together more than five million people across 50 states in the largest single-day protest yet against President Trump’s authoritarian attacks. The upcoming day of action is the next step in this growing movement, channeling that energy into yet another coordinated, peaceful mobilization,” said AFGE in a statement.

Locations for No Kings protests can be found online. There are dozens of events planned in Washington state, from Ocean Shores to Colville. Some of the largest protests will be in Olympia at the State Capitol and in Seattle at the Seattle Center.

Social media posts:

Another way to support federal workers is through social media posts. Many people get their news from their social media feeds — and misinformation or political spin about the shutdown and federal workers is rampant. Help keep the focus on Congress and the need for Republican leaders to take action to end the shutdown. AFGE has a couple graphics anyone can use on their own pages.

Calling Congress:

And for federal workers and AFGE members, the union is encouraging calls to Congress to urge an end to the shutdown. Non-federal workers can use this AFL-CIO tool to call their members of Congress — this is an especially important action for those living in Republican-represented districts, but calls can also be made to Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader John Thune, the Republican leaders who have the power to end the shutdown.