Federal workers in Tennessee say money is getting tight

By TRAVIS LOLLER , Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — As the partial government shutdown drags on toward week four, IRS call center worker Vivian Hunt says she can no longer afford in-home health care for her disabled mother.

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Hunt trains other workers to answer questions about tax returns at a center in Franklin, Tennessee. Her husband, who is not a federal worker, is drawing a paycheck. But she says moving to a one-income household, even temporarily, is a strain.

Hunt was one of several federal workers attending a luncheon Thursday for the AFL-CIO’s Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. They told their stories and asked those listening to call their U.S. senators to demand that government be reopened.

Tennessee has about 25,000 federal civilian employees, excluding postal workers. That’s according to September 2017 data from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.