Government shutdown update

Three days from now, nearly half-a-million hungry Minnesotans will stop receiving food assistance. 18,000 federal workers in our state will not receive paychecks. We are in the fourth week of the federal government shutdown.

444,000 Minnesotans receive SNAP food benefits, but they will not be issued beginning Nov. 1 unless Congress acts to end the government shutdown. Yesterday, 25 states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration over the impending loss of food benefits amid the government shutdown. About 42 million Americans will lose their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits when federal funding ends on Nov. 1. Governor Tim Walz has announced $4 million in emergency state funding to support food banks across Minnesota.

MAPE leaders, members and staff worked to pressure Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) to extend wages to employees working in Disability Determination Services at Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). MMB initially guaranteed payments from Oct. 7 to Oct. 27, and most recently to Nov. 25. In all previous shutdowns, MMB has guaranteed DDS' paychecks throughout the shutdown and was later reimbursed by the federal government as the law requires. DDS workers review and approve disability applications for the Social Security Administration.  

Employees working at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) may not be so fortunate. MDH management has announced plans to lay off 101 employees, 34 in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition program and 67 in the Health Regulation Division (HRD). Notices are anticipated to go out tomorrow, Oct. 30 - 36 of the impacted layoffs are MAPE members, with impacts to Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) and Middle Management Association (MMA) as well.

Impacted HRD employees perform regular evaluations, investigate concerns from residents and families, and ensure nursing homes and other federally certified facilities are compliant with Medicare and Medicaid regulations. WIC employees administer WIC benefits to Minnesotans.

In all previous shutdowns, MMB has negotiated an enterprise-wide memorandum of understanding (MOU) for impacted workers that continued health care, protected jobs and held accruals. MMB has refused to negotiate an MOU for any impacted agency this shutdown.

MAPE continues to advocate for an enterprise-wide memorandum of understanding (MOU) that protects employees from permanent disruption due to a temporary shutdown. 

Keep a close eye on your email for updates and calls to action. Member escalation is what led to the layoff extensions at DEED, and willingness to act is how we build our power to fight for a fair MOU.