The state of Pennsylvania is not issuing any paychecks until the budget is passed. This circumvents Federal Law, however, the governor claims it does not apply to the state of Pennsylvania. We have been instructed we HAVE to report to work and once the budget is passed we will be paid. This could take weeks.
I can survive for 4 weeks, barely. I work with people who will not survive missing one paycheck. In addition, they have denied several people the right to seek supplemental employment in the private sector. This bars employees from getting a second job to earn at least some money during the budget impasse.
The governor was nice enough to send out a list of food banks we can contact if needed during this "difficult time". We are not able to collect unemployment either.
How can the state make us work yet deny us our paycheck?
Is there any actions we can make against the state?
By keeping our paychecks as hostage, would this qualify for a class action lawsuit?
The governor's action of withholding our pay was last utilized in 1991, and threatened every year after that...now it has happened again.

This is not all that uncommon these days. If you are a union member, contact your union. I have heard that the SEIU credit union is offering no/low interest loans in this case for qualified members.

When an employee must be paid is a matter of state law, not federal law, and states are often exempt from certain provisions of wage and hour law. Very likely for this reason.

However, if you're going to try to sue the state, you will have a VERY long wait.

My husband is a state worker that only received 2 days pay last Friday. Next pay he will receive nothing. It's so hard to believe this can happen. Does anyone have any updates on the budget getting passed anytime soon? Someone told my husband the budget wouldn’t be signed until the end of August at the earliest.


We can also get by for about 4 weeks and then we will be in trouble. The state issued IOU notes to give to your Mortgage Company and so on. I doubt Acme is going to accept and IOU for groceries or if Sunoco is going to accept one for gas.

The loans the credit unions are offering is for people with almost perfect credit. That's not us, at the moment.

I pray this ends soon.

Nothing so far. Contact your state representative pronto and yell at him/her. Then you can ask what public assistance the state is prepared to provide immediately.

I did see an article in, I think it was Friday or Saturday's Pittsburgh newspaper that the federal DOL has this situation under investigation. Also, this, today.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09208/986708-100.stm