Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

bbc.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

131–140 of 612 posts

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#131

Post by cr1895 »

wonderwonder wrote: post #24

Bearing in mind that ~40% of american's could not come up with $400 to cover emergencies, this is going to become more prevalent in the next few days / weeks as people will simply not be able to afford gas to get to their unpaid work. I read an article today discussing how TSA workers in HI are living in their cars in the airport parking lot as they cannot afford to commute. The FBI just cancelled its internship prog…

>An administration official recommended that all those affected simply take out loans but unfortunately banks don't lend to people without an income

I think bills have been passed already guaranteeing back pay for federal employees, so it's a bit more complicated than "no income" for federal employees.

However, everyone else who is a contractor or otherwise tangentially dependent on government employment...

And of course getting back pay at some unknown future date doesn't put food on the table now or keep you from losing your house or car.

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#132

Post by ceejayoz »

dkdbejwi383 wrote: post #47
ceejayoz wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it'd be slavery if they couldn't quit.

What if they can't quit because of the wage-slave capitalist culture brought about by the US government?

Then we've diluted the term "slavery" enough that it's no longer usable in a reasonable discussion.

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#133

Post by mikeash »

AlexTWithBeard wrote: post #104
Spartan-S63 wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to mention that low interest loans are sort of predatory in this context, despite being lower than market rate interest rates. I understand that they have a profit a motive, but it doesn't make them the "good guys" in this scenario. There really are no good guys during a government shutdown.

First two results returned by searching for "federal shutdown loan" show 0% interest loans: https://www.navyfederal.org/about/government-shutdown.php https://www.interiorfcu.org/resources/government-shutdown/ I don't see how is it predatory. Considering that it costs bank about 2% to borrow money this is borderline charity.

Those are credit unions aimed at federal employees. Which means that a large chunk of their ownership is people affected by the shutdown. That’s not charity so much as helping themselves. Which is still great, obviously, but I wonder how it is for affected people who don’t belong to federal employee credit unions.

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#134

Post by dawhizkid »

Interesting thing I discovered when I was concerned about SFO delays is that SFO is one of the few airports in the U.S. that does not use TSA for security...it hires its own private security officers.

Edit: For those curious, these airports have private security (SFO is by far the largest as far as I can tell): https://www.tsa.gov/for-industry/screening-partnerships

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#136

Post by mbostleman »

mayneack wrote: post #11

Federal workers should start striking. I gather that in most cases they're explicitly prevented from striking, but I think there's a good chance that it's too unpopular to actually punish them. Also yesterday some leadership of the flight attendants union called for a general strike until it was over: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/01/could-an-unlikely-av...

I don't know about striking per se. But I have been somewhat confused about why all these workers are reporting to work when they're not being paid. If it's purely out of good will and dedication for their jobs, I appreciate that, but I wonder if it doesn't just serve to mask the problem. Employment at will means that every day is a new agreement - I work then you pay. If one side of that declines, then so should the other. I'm sure that one thing at play is that those that continue to show up will probably have better rep with managers when this is over. That's unfortunate and, I assume, technically illegal. But it's all the more reason that if the pay stops, so should the work - across the board.

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#137

Post by lazyant »

NeedMoreTea wrote: post #87

I hope not too off topic, but I'm puzzled by shutdowns. Every other country I can think of has a system where if the finance is not agreed, the previous budget just continues. The budget sets the yearly amount for each department and it runs on until another budget changes how much everyone gets. Sometimes a new department gets created, sometimes something is abolished. Everyone gets their salary and services run on.…

In Canada it triggers a new election

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#138

Post by dwighttk »

usaphp wrote: post #69

As a non US citizen, I don’t understand what’s that shutdown even about, seems like absurd thing to do. Is it all because of Trump or he is not the only one to blame? I remember there was some shutdown when Obama was there too? Or am I mistaken? Edit: downvoted for asking a question?

it is a political thing. Both the House and the Senate have to approve bills that fund these various government agencies, so if a president has at least one of the two backing him up (just enough that they can't override his veto) then he can say give me X or we won't pass the funding bill.

It's standard practice to tack lots of little x things onto the bill because they wouldn't ever really pass on their own, but people don't want to deal with a shutdown to stop them. Sometimes that is a big enough issue that people will deal with a shutdown.

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#139

Post by AndyMcConachie »

justaguyhere wrote: post #25
mayneack wrote: post #11

Federal workers should start striking. I gather that in most cases they're explicitly prevented from striking, but I think there's a good chance that it's too unpopular to actually punish them. Also yesterday some leadership of the flight attendants union called for a general strike until it was over: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/01/could-an-unlikely-av...

they're explicitly prevented from striking Wow, is this true? Is this even legal (except maybe police and military)?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taft%E2%80%93Hartley_Act

The Act allows the President to intervene in any strike that is considered a national security interest. And this has been interpreted in the courts rather broadly.

Re: US shutdown: Flight delays caused by staff shortages

#140

Post by sv123 »

brianwawok wrote: post #86
sremani wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you got to any bank website at least the ones I bank with, there is a flashing notice on the front page, if I were a federal worker who needs assistance due to shut down. I am sure, certain workers have easy ways than others but to say that at least some banks have not stepped up is incorrect.

Many are offering loans of 10%+ APR. That is helpful, but maybe not a great situation for many people that have no savings to need the loan.

Think of the boost to the economy we will get once these banks report their next quarter earnings!

/s, hopefully obvious

Post reply on HN