IFPTE and Federal Worker Rights During a Shutdown

International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers President Matt Biggs joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast as a partial federal government shutdown disrupted pay and operations across major agencies. Biggs discussed how IFPTE’s 80,000-plus members, including engineers, scientists, attorneys and other technical professionals, are navigating uncertainty while continuing essential work.

Biggs also outlined the union’s priorities heading into its legislative conference in Washington, where members plan to press Congress on stable funding, job protections, and due process concerns affecting the federal workforce. The conversation highlighted the operational and human costs of delayed appropriations, the strain on agencies such as the Department of War, and the broader impact of prolonged fiscal dysfunction on public services.

• IFPTE members face immediate shutdown impacts: A partial shutdown has interrupted pay for federal workers while many continue reporting to work.
• Appropriations delays are driving instability: Congress remains behind schedule on fiscal year 2026 bills, creating recurring shutdown risk.
• IFPTE legislative conference targets funding and rights: The union is mobilizing members to advocate for stable budgets and workforce protections.

The Human Cost: Federal Workers Reporting Without Pay

A partial federal government shutdown has again placed federal workers in a familiar position: maintaining public operations while their pay is delayed.

On the America’s Workforce Union Podcast, host Ed “Flash” Ferenc spoke with Matt Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, about what the shutdown means for IFPTE’s membership and for the agencies that rely on technical and professional expertise.

IFPTE represents more than 80,000 active and retired members across the United States and Canada, including engineers, scientists, attorneys and other professional and technical employees. The union’s membership includes workers at agencies and workplaces central to national security, research, and public administration.

During shutdowns, many federal employees are designated essential and must continue working even when appropriations lapse. Biggs described a workforce that continues to show up even as pay is interrupted, a dynamic that can strain household budgets and morale and complicate staffing for agencies already facing recruitment and retention challenges.

Federal Appropriations: Breaking the Cycle of Instability

The government shutdown discussion centered on the broader budget process, where delayed appropriations can lead to recurring disruptions.

Biggs described a Congress still working through fiscal year 2026 appropriations well after the deadline that typically governs federal budgeting. In the union’s view, the inability to complete funding bills on time increases the likelihood of short-term extensions and recurring shutdown threats.

For federal workers, the practical effect is uncertainty. Agencies may pause hiring, delay contracts, and postpone planning. Employees may be asked to maintain operations without clarity on timelines for pay restoration.

In addition to the immediate disruption, repeated budget delays can affect long-term workforce stability. Federal agencies compete with private-sector employers for engineers, scientists and technical professionals. When funding becomes unpredictable, recruitment becomes harder and experienced workers may look elsewhere.

Department of War: Essential Defense Work on Delayed Pay

Biggs noted that large agencies, including the U.S. Department of War (also known as the U.S. Department of Defense), can be affected by a partial shutdown.

For unions representing federal employees, shutdowns create a dual challenge: protecting members from financial harm while ensuring the public understands that the disruption is a policy failure, not a workforce failure.

In many cases, federal employees continue performing essential functions related to national security, safety and public services. The shutdown can also affect contractors and local economies that depend on federal activity.

Mission Critical: How Funding Debates Impact NASA

The conversation also addressed NASA, where IFPTE represents workers involved in science, aeronautics, engineering, and related functions.

Biggs described a funding environment in which proposed reductions can create uncertainty for research and mission planning. Even when Congress rejects major cuts, the cycle of budget brinkmanship can still slow progress and complicate workforce planning.

For technical agencies, continuity matters. Research timelines, procurement cycles, and mission schedules often span years. When budgets are unsettled, agencies may delay investments or reshuffle priorities, affecting both workers and outcomes.

Immigration Courts: Staffing Shortages vs. Due Process

Biggs also raised the topic of immigration judges, a group represented within IFPTE’s broader membership.

Biggs discussed the operational consequences of staffing reductions in a system that relies on adjudication capacity. Immigration courts handle high volumes of cases, and staffing reductions can increase backlogs and prolong uncertainty for individuals and families.

From a labor perspective, staffing instability can also affect workplace conditions, caseload management and an agency's ability to meet its mission.

Cross-Border Anxiety: Implications for Canadian Members

IFPTE’s membership includes workers in Canada, and Biggs discussed how cross-border ties shape the union’s advocacy, which will become a primary focus during the IFPTE 2026 Legislative Advocacy Conference, Feb. 9-12 in Washington, D.C.

The union’s legislative conference, Biggs explained, is designed to mobilize members to meet with lawmakers and advocate for policies that protect jobs, stabilize funding and support the rights of professional and technical workers.

Biggs indicated that some Canadian members have expressed concerns about travel and border processing, underscoring how the political climate can affect labor organizations that operate across borders.

The IFPTE 2026 Legislative Advocacy Conference: A Strategy for Action

Biggs said IFPTE members are preparing to bring their priorities to Capitol Hill during the union’s legislative conference.

For unions representing federal workers, legislative advocacy is not abstract. Appropriations decisions determine staffing levels, program continuity and agencies' ability to deliver services. Labor rights and workplace protections are also shaped by federal policy.

The union’s approach, as described by Biggs during the interview, emphasizes member engagement and direct advocacy. In the context of shutdowns and delayed appropriations, the union is pressing for a more stable budgeting process that reduces disruption for workers and the public.

The stakes for IFPTE: Stability, retention and public service

The temporary government shutdown is not only a political event. It is a workplace event.

It affects paychecks, staffing and an agency's ability to plan. It can also influence whether skilled professionals remain in federal service.

For IFPTE, the message is that federal workers are central to the nation’s research, defense and public administration infrastructure. When funding is delayed, the costs are absorbed by workers and by the public systems they support.

As Congress continues its appropriations work, IFPTE is positioning its legislative conference as a pressure point for accountability and stability.

Listen to the full episode above, and subscribe to the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to stay updated on federal labor rights.