The Solidarity Docket

Weekly Dispatch from Suzanne Summerlin, General Counsel

November 7, 2025

Friends,

The shutdown has now stretched into historic territory and its impacts deepen by the day.

Major federal-employee unions—including AFGE, NFFE, AFSCME, and NTEU—are calling on Congress to immediately pass a clean continuing resolution (CR) that reopens the government and guarantees back pay for all affected workers. Read more →

After weeks of stalemate, bipartisan talks on Capitol Hill are showing early signs of progress toward a deal to reopen the government. While no framework has yet emerged, lawmakers on both sides have acknowledged that the shutdown’s economic and operational damage has become untenable. Read more →

Court filings this week reveal that while most shutdown-related reductions in force (RIFs) remain blocked under Judge Illston’s injunction, roughly 10 percent of the 4,000 layoffs initiated before the order are not fully covered. Agencies have reported partial implementation and are seeking further clarification from the court. Read more →

Thousands of furloughed employees are facing significant delays in unemployment benefits as state agencies wait for verification forms from furloughed federal HR offices. Some states are weeks behind in processing claims, leaving workers without pay or relief as the shutdown drags on. Read more →

A new lawsuit from AFGE’s National VA Council details how the Department of Veterans Affairs selectively enforced the administration’s August executive order curbing collective-bargaining rights—granting exceptions to certain favored unions while penalizing others. The suit argues this selective implementation violates the law and the Constitution’s equal-protection principles. Read more →

In Solidarity

Each day this shutdown continues, federal workers demonstrate resilience that the government itself struggles to match. Their commitment to public service, even without pay or certainty, reminds us why this fight matters.

The call is clear, and it’s growing louder: end the shutdown, restore pay, and respect the people who make government work.

In solidarity,

Suzanne Summerlin
General Counsel, Rise Up: Federal Workers Legal Defense Network