I was just laid off by the State of MN. Just coincidentally I was on a temporary project (i.e. I was not a permanent employee) which ended with the fiscal year, June 30th.
In the area I was working, IT within the Department of Health, I will say that the people I worked with were as hard-working and competent as any I have worked with in the public sector (20 years experience). The chief difference I saw was that they worked regular hours; I didn’t see the 60+ hours a week I commonly experienced in the private sector.
Prior to this job I was highly suspect of the devotion and motivation of state employees. Now, at least in this area, I saw people giving a full effort to important tasks for reasonable wages and benefits. I was working (had to ostensibly join the union) for wages which I got 20 years ago and the benefits we not golden by any means.
Under Plawenty the unions got slapped back pretty hard. There has been a substantial regression in benefits; wages have been cost of living or less. The unions have been yapping dogs, but toothless.
I suspect the protestors are mostly from the human services divisions of the state. There, there is a greater sense of entitlement and class envy than I saw in the DOH.
The employees, in this case, have little to do with the shutdown per se. They are just out of their jobs for lack of a budget; most want a work and a paycheck,not unemployment. Unfortunately the protesters have a case of class envy and entitlement which I really don’t think is true of all or even a majority.
Thank you for your first-hand detailed account. I offer my sincere best wishes for your continued success.