I know it will be tough, but please try to contain your shock and amazement.
Via Washington Examiner:
The Obama administration quietly changed its furlough guidance Friday to allow government employees who are also union representatives to return to work and receive a regular paycheck during the government shutdown.
On the fifth day of the government shutdown the House unanimously passed a a bill approving back pay for 800,000 furloughed federal workers, a rare moment of bipartisan unity, even as House Republicans and Democrats continued their bitter budget standoff.
The vast majority of those workers do not serve as union representatives and will not receive a pay check as long as the government remains shuttered. But the Office of Personnel Management Friday opened the door for some of their co-workers, those who serve as union representatives, to return to work and get their regular paycheck.
OPM, a government agency that manages all federal employee issues, originally issued written guidance instructing government workers on furlough questions on Sept. 30 in preparation for the expected Oct. 1 shutdown.