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Norton to Speak at Press Conference to Demand Back Pay for Low-Wage Federal Contract Workers, Tomorrow

January 28, 2019

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will speak at a press conference with Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and members of 32BJ SEIU—which represents over 600 janitors and security officers who were furloughed and did not receive back pay after previous shutdowns—to call for Congress to provide back pay for low-wage federal contract workers tomorrow, Tuesday, January 28, 2019, at 2:15 p.m., in 215 SVC (Capitol Visitor Center, Senate Side). Norton introduced legislation to guarantee back pay to low-wage federally contracted retail, food, custodial and security service workers who did not get furloughed during the federal government shutdown.

"Although the Trump shutdown is over, for now, thousands of low-wage federal contract workers cannot make up for its consequences after going more than a month without pay," Norton said. "Congress must immediately make whole the low-wage federal contract workers, just as it made federal employees whole. These low-wage service workers, who often work alongside federal employees and help make our government function, can least afford to lose these wages. Congress owes them as much as federal employees."