STRIKE!? and the bad hews is
Federal employees are prohibited from striking.
Over the past 10 years they have 3 years with a ZERO percent raise. Hiring has been reduced, with further reductions through attrition. Pensions were slashed during the Clinton administration. Currently you can expect 1% of your top 3 year average, for every year you worked. No one since 1984 will see the 80% retirement.
Salary wise, at least for engineers the Govt Pay is about 30% lower than industry. My highest annual raise has been 1.9% and that was last year. My raises have been through merit promotions (ie Supervisor of a team of engineers).
I am assigned to NASA, perhaps you have heard of the Mars Mission? We now are sitting at home, unable to burn vacation or sick leave we have accrued and will lose what we had saved on Friday. We will likely not be paid backpay for this unplanned furlough. And will not get paychecks for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile we will still be expected to make mortgage payments and food bills.
We support Pres Trump and the wall. However I don’t think it’s fair that I pay for it by involuntarily having my livelihood stopped because Congress and the assorted RINOs cannot do their Constitional duty. We are Federal workers and an overwhelming percentage of us are Military retirees.