Her colleagues, federal contract employees who clean government buildings, remember not getting paid after the 2013 two-week closure, so she had reason to fear losing pay this year. Missing even one day of pay, particularly for low-wage workers, can sting. Congress, historically, has provided back pay to federal employees, who often work in the same buildings as these low-wage contract workers, furloughed during government shutdowns — but not low-wage contract workers. …“Unlike many other contractors, those who employ low-wage service workers have little latitude to help make up for lost wages. Most higher paid contractor employees also are getting paid for the shutdown.

Source: Washington Post January 30, 2018 21:08 UTC