A sailor conducts aircraft refueler familiarization training for Italian employees at Naval Air Station Sigonella on the island of Sicily. (Shannon Haney/U.S. Navy)
A union in Sicily is calling for political pressure at the national level after representatives of the U.S. military services in Italy cautioned that some Italian employees at American bases in the country may not get paid on time.
Last week, the Joint Civilian Personnel Committee, Italy notified two unions representing local-national workers at American bases in the country that some of those workers may not get their paychecks on schedule due to the U.S. government shutdown.
The committee represents the Army, Air Force and Navy in Italy in employment matters.
In response, Uiltucs Base USA Sigonella posted a message Thursday on Facebook saying the union had asked for Italian political intervention to ensure that workers it represents don’t miss out on their pay because of the stalemate in Washington, D.C.
Uiltucs Base USA Sigonella, a labor union in Sicily, is asking for political pressure to ensure that local-national workers employed at American military bases in Italy get paid on time despite the ongoing U.S. government shutdown. (Facebook/Uiltucs Base USA Sigonella)
The post didn’t specify what sort of political action the union was seeking or from whom. But the union added that the request “obviously affects all the workers engaged in the US bases in Italy.”
It’s unclear how many Italian workers could see payment of their salary delayed. The U.S. government shutdown began Oct. 1 and is now the second-longest in American history.
The personnel committee’s memo last week warned that Italians employed by the Air Force and Army in Italy whose positions are paid through appropriated funds could see their October paychecks delayed.
On the other hand, local-national employees of the U.S. Navy who work in jobs financed with appropriated funds would be promptly paid through funds for October payrolls, the memo said.
“However, the availability of funds for future payrolls of local employees is currently unknown,” the committee said, referring to the Navy.
Besides NAS Sigonella, the Navy has a base in Naples and a detachment in Gaeta.
Italian employees whose jobs are funded by nonappropriated funds, such as those working at the Navy exchange or Army and Air Force Exchange Service, are not affected and will be paid on time, according to the memo.
U.S. bases in Italy employ thousands of Italians at retail stores, food courts, gyms and child care centers. Others work as engineers, architects, plumbers, electricians and firefighters, among other positions.
At Aviano Air Base, there are about 500 local national employees paid with appropriated funds, 31st Fighter Wing spokesman Capt. Steve Garrett said Monday.
About 220 others who work in jobs financed with nonappropriated funds “would not be affected if there is a lapse of pay for our local national employees,” Garrett said.
U.S. Army Garrison Italy in Vicenza and U.S. Navy Region Europe, Africa, Central in Naples could not immediately provide the number of Italians employed at their installations.
Italian workers are not the only DOD local-national employees in Europe who may be affected by the federal budget impasse.
Last week, Germany’s federal government said it would step in and pay 12,000 German workers at American bases if their paychecks were late.
The country’s finance ministry is preparing about $50 million in emergency funding to ensure that workers are paid on time, German news outlet Tagesschau reported Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Italian unions were seeking clarification about when employees would be paid.
They will be notified of any changes involving nonappropriated fund workers, according to the personnel committee memo, which was sent to the national secretaries of FISASCAT-CISL and UILTUCS-UIL.
Stars and Stripes reporter Zade Vadnais in Germany contributed to this report.
