Federal employees and federal contract workers represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) are facing the possibility of a government shutdown scheduled for Wednesday, October 1, 2025. The union has expressed concern over the impact such an event would have on its members.
In a statement to members, IAM said, “Once again, our nation’s federal employees and federal contract workers are facing the threat of a government shutdown on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. And once again, hardworking men and women, many of them proud IAM and NFFE-IAM members, are being treated as pawns in a political game.”
The organization called for bipartisan cooperation to prevent the shutdown. “The IAM strongly urges a bipartisan funding solution, negotiated in good faith between Democrats and Republicans, to prevent a shutdown. A shutdown is unjust, cruel, and devastating to working families and we will never stand by while our members are used as leverage for political gain. 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,” according to the statement.
IAM represents more than 110,000 federal workers across the country through itself and its affiliate National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM). The union highlighted that government shutdowns can result in significant financial hardship for workers: “Government shutdowns are devastating. Over 1 million federal contract workers went without pay during the 35-day government shutdown in early 2019, including thousands of furloughed IAM members.”
To address these issues going forward, IAM is supporting legislation known as the Fair Pay for Federal Contractors Act. According to their message: “That’s why the IAM is working with allies in Congress to pass the Fair Pay for Federal Contractors Act, led by Sens. Tina Smith, Tim Kaine, Mark Warner, Chris Van Hollen, and Angela Alsobrooks. This legislation would finally ensure that contract workers are compensated for the wages they lose during a shutdown.”
IAM also provided guidance for its members about how to prepare if a furlough occurs:
– Report to work unless given an official written furlough notice.
– Stay connected through personal email updates from IAM or NFFE-IAM.
– Rely on union support both at workplaces and on Capitol Hill.
The statement concluded: “We will not allow reckless elected officials to gamble with the livelihoods of the men and women who keep this country running. We are stronger when we work together.”
