TAMPA, Fla. — Joe Rojas is an officer at Coleman Federal Prison, but that is no longer his only job.
“I was forced to take a second job cause I’m not getting paid; we’re about to lose our second paycheck," Rojas said. "So in order for me to get to work, which I am mandated to go to work, I have to pay for gas and tolls.
"So I am forced to work for Uber and Lyft, in order to get some extra money to pay for gas and feed my family."
After 24 years as a federal worker, he never thought he'd be in this position.
“It’s unsettling, to be honest with you. I am going on 24 years with the Department of Justice," Rojas said. "It’s a good career, but I never thought I would have to work for a second job in order to make ends meet.”
Rojas is also the president of his local federal worker's union, a position he is proud to hold. He’s been invited to Tampa to meet with Reps. Charlie Crist and Kathy Castor to discuss the impact of the shutdown on federal workers.
10News reached out to both representatives, and Crist's office sent the following regarding tomorrow's meeting and the ongoing shutdown:
“More than 800,000 federal employees are either working without pay or have been furloughed since December 22nd, missing paychecks. For families on a tight budget, with a mortgage, car payments, daycare…it’s a crisis. I’ve joined my fellow House Democrats in voting nine times to re-open the federal government. I hope the President will ultimately accept a solution that ends the shutdown before more damage is done. We can and should discuss how best to strengthen border security, but without shuttering the Department of Homeland Security and other important federal agencies, causing pain and disruption to the American people and our economy.”
At Coleman, the effects have been felt first hand.
“We’ve seen people call out," Rojas said. "I have spoken to a lot of young officers who have maybe two or three years vested in the bureau. And if this continues, they are going to quit.
"Which, I cannot blame them. Cause they have to feed their families, and they are really unsure of this."
Before working without pay is even considered, being a federal prison employee is no easy job.
“It’s just a stressful job, on a daily basis we have assaults on staff, inmates who are not there for being good boys do throw what we call cocktails, which is urine and feces, throw them on staff," Rojas said. "Would anybody work for free in this type of environment?
"No, you know. But we do.”
Last week, President Donald Trump signed the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, which should provide back pay to federal employees once the shutdown is over.
Rojas was appreciative of the gesture, but still kept the larger picture in mind.
“It’s nice that we get paid eventually, but now, it doesn’t help me now," he said. "They need to open up the government now so I can start feeding my family the same thing with my fellow colleagues."
And he’s calling on all elected officials to get that done.
“I blame both sides. I actually honestly, at first I blamed Trump. Cause he was the one who said this is the Trump shutdown. Then when the Democrats took over, they’re just as stubborn as Trump. And now they don’t want to sit down and negotiate," Rojas said. "They are both being stubborn and using us as collateral damage. And they are forgetting why they were elected.
"They were elected to represent us and to protect us. And they are not doing that. They’re both failing at that.”
Rojas is looking forward to discussing the issues he and his fellow federal workers are facing with Crist and Castor. Because for him, it is about far more than "politics."
“Please, I implore the government, I implore Congress, and both sides, don’t use as a bargaining chip," Rojas said. "They are using us in a game of chicken, who’s going to blink first? And we are collateral damage. This is ridiculous.
"This is un-American, this is unfair. And you have real lives affected by this.”
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