SPRINGFIELD, Va. — After hearing stories from federal contractors, many of whom worked during the 35-day government shutdown, Sen. Mark Warner told them “it’s un-American” that they have not been paid, unlike furloughed federal employees.
During a roundtable at the Northern Virginia Community Business Partnership, Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, heard how the lack of pay has affected contractors — many of whom are employed through the nation’s AbilityOne program, one of the of the nation’s largest sources of employment for Americans with severe disabilities.
“It made me feel isolated, because I didn’t really know when we were going back, or how I was going to be paid,” said Vicki Roscoe, who sorts mail at a federal agency through a contract with Service Source Inc. “We have bills just like everybody else — I feel like we’re the forgotten ones.”
Joseph Pelzer is a custodian at the Interior Department, who got his job through Chimes.
“We need our back pay so we can catch our bills up and survive,” said Pelzer. “We work just as hard as anyone else.”
He said he takes pride in his work. “A federal building, I like to think of it as one of the houses of the President. I want to make it look good, and make it shine.”
Harrison Misewicz, director of contracting at Chimes, told Warner 45,000 disabled Americans are employed under the AbilityOne program
“These are people who 75 years ago, we would have put them in an institution, or in their parents’ basement to die,” he told Warner. “Now these people are paying taxes.”
Warner told the group he was “trying to get some Republican friends” to go along with his legislation, which would require back pay for contractors during future government shutdowns.
“You might be able to get some of your workers to meet with my colleagues,” Warner suggested to Misewicz, who agreed it would be a good idea.
Warner said his legislation would give back pay to some low- and middle-wage federal contractors.
“You lose five weeks of pay, that throws your finances out of whack for the whole year,” Warner said. “It’s just un-American that you should be going to work, and made to work, and not be paid.”
