Shutdown Suit

From Yahoo:
"Lawyer for federal workers explains why they're suing over the shutdown"

Aggrieved federal workers are suing the U.S. government over the shutdown, arguing that working without pay is a violation of the constitution. The lawsuit filed on Wednesday on behalf of five anonymous federal workers argues that President Donald Trump — as well as the heads of four agencies — are forcing them to work without pay in violation of the Thirteenth Amendment (which prohibits involuntary servitude). The plaintiffs, who work for the Department of Justice, Departments of Transportation, Agriculture and Homeland Security, also claim that the government is violating the Fifth Amendment as well by prohibiting the taking on of outside jobs like driving for Uber. “Our plaintiffs are just concerned that there are no signs of this thing ending anytime soon,” Michael Kator, an attorney at Kator, Parks, Weiser & Harris, told Yahoo Finance. “The ideal outcome is that we’d ask the court to essentially clear two things. We’re not asking for asking for money damages, we’re only asking for the court to say that is that is it is unlawful, that it violates the statute in the constitution for the government to require people to work without pay.” Furthermore, they are arguing that it is “unlawful for the for the government, when it’s not paying its employees, to impose limits on their ability to find outside employment.” Federal workers are essentially stuck in a situation where “not only are you not getting any money, but you can’t get any money,” Kator added Almost 800,000 federal workers are likely to have missed their paycheck on Friday, and more lawsuits are being brought forward as opposition to the shutdown mounts. Kator’s firm has also filed a temporary restraining order on Friday asking that the federal district court in D.C. to “immediately prohibit the federal government from continuing to violate federal employees’ rights.” A hearing on the motion is expected to take place in Washington. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association has also taken a similar route by suing the government for unlawfully depriving them of their wages without due process, according to a press release. They have also filed a temporary restraining order Unions including the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents 150,000 members at 33 federal agencies, and the American Federation of Government Employees filed similar suits. We are currently on day 22 of the government shutdown, which is a result of a political deadlock between the president and House Democrats over funding for a $5.7 billion wall on the southern border. This is the longest-running shutdown in history. The amount of missed paychecks could already be more than $2 billion, said left-leaning D.C.-based think-tank Center for American Progress.  Federal workers gathered in the capital on Thursday, demanding the government be reopened. “When they say, ‘one paycheck away from homeless,’ I’m not there, but I’m real close,” a Philadelphia-based IRS veteran told USA Today.

^ I tend to agree that if the US Government deems one of its employees "essential" and forces them to work   - during a Government Shutdown - then they have to also pay them. I don't think anything will come out of this lawsuit, but hopefully it will force Trump, the Republicans and the Democrats to stop playing like babies and open the Federal Government. ^

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/lawyer-federal-workers-explains-theyre-suing-shutdown-162751204.html