With a federal shutdown looming, Chicago faces layoffs
The processing of loans backed by the Small Business Administration will
stop, contractual payments will be put on hold and most workers will
have three or four hours on Oct. 1 to shut down their offices, except
for skeleton crews.
"We have people in here every day refinancing
major apartment complexes. That would stop," said Ken Brucks, president
of the American Federation of Government Employees union, Local 911,
which represents about 350 workers in the Chicago office of the
Department of Housing and Urban Development. "This will be as bad for
business as it is for federal employees."
Federal courts will stay
open and trials will take place as usual because the court system is
partially funded by fees, but that's just enough to last for 10 business
days.
"After Oct. 15, only essential work being done, critical to
constitutional requirements" will be allowed if Congress doesn't act by
then, said Tom Bruton, clerk of the U.S. District Court in Chicago. New
cases could still be filed, but many of the court's 285 employees face
furloughs if there is a lapse in appropriations.
Federal agencies are
still developing contingency plans, deciding who stays home and who is deemed “essential” enough that they must report for work.