As a former employee of the U.S. Forest Service, Max Alonzo knows how hard shutdowns can be; he’s lived through a couple.
“We were a one income house, and I had to do side jobs just to, you know, make enough money to put food on the table and put gas in the car during that time,” he said.
Now Alonzo is the national secretary-treasurer for the National Federation of Federal Employees.
He’s glad that furloughed federal workers are back on the job after the longest shutdown in U.S. history. He’s also relieved that the funding bill guarantees they’ll get back pay, after President Trump had warned that some workers would not be eligible.
“We’re happy it’s in there,” he said. “But at the same time, why are we even at this place right now?”
Retroactive pay for federal employees affected by the shutdown is required by law. The Trump Administration said they will receive it "as soon as possible." Timing will vary agency to agency. Even still, Alonzo said morale among federal workers is low.
“I don't think anybody feels good right now. I think everybody feels extremely drained, and they're just waiting for the next blow to come from this administration,” he said.
The funding deal also reversed layoffs planned or announced during the government shutdown, which were tied up in court. The plans included about 2,000 Interior Department employees. Among them were about half the staff of the Fort Collins Science Center.
But the prohibition on ‘Reductions in Force’ only lasts through January 30, 2026.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Boise State Public Radio, Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio and KJZZ in Arizona as well as NPR, with support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
