in any of the Handbooks and manuals that I used.

And it was never referenced in any of the Arbitrations or any other Contractual level hearings where I represented people.

And it was never referenced in any of the Court cases that I cited in my various pleadings.

their situation to that of people who were bought and sold as property.

the reality is of course very different as you point out. That said, it is Flu Season and folks do get sick.

And Agencies have rules covering usage of sick leave.

There's a keyboard warrior for every fight.

And even if a person has refused orders, in this instance, all Federal workers work under Federal rules. And I am speaking as someone with over 33 years experience representing Federal workers in an Agency. In my case, the USPS.

And I am speaking as one who trained representatives in the area. Vital to winning any battle is knowing what rules govern the battle.

Knowing those rules that govern the battle is vital for the current survival of the union movement. It's the not-fun part of the work, but it is absolutely vital.

And unions always fight an uphill battle against the rich.

By a Supreme Court ruling in the 1900's all federal unions must be open shops, also.

In the USPS, my Agency, my particular Union, the NALC, was voluntarily supported by over 92% of the letter carriers. We "sold" the necessity of being unionized as the best way for a worker to deal with management.

So even the open shop barrier can be overcome when the union educates the workers it represents.

They will lose their job, pension, and benefits if they do.

Informational picketing is legal, but any signage that is treated as hostile to the Agency is not legal.

And I understand why some here are suggesting a strike, and I welcome the support for Federal workers, but such support must defer to those who know what can be legally done.

Although I experienced a few shutdowns during my career, I was not designated as an essential employee so I was either sent home, or got to stay home. But if I had been designated essential, I certainly would not have refused to go to work.

....because you're scrimping to feed kids or pay rent makes one dull and listless, after all. You can't be punished for trying to work and fail due to low blood sugar.
But that can become a problem with the backlog and short staffing. The important government work becomes harder to complete on time and within budget.

Haele

can portray this as "proof" that Government does not work.

Would you work for free and then go to a food bank to feed your family? If this doesn't end soon, we'll lose a whole lot of good people to the private sector and you sure can't blame them.