BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – One non-profit NASA contractor is still paying furloughed custodians during the partial government shutdown.
- NASA contractor paying furloughed custodians
- Brevard Achievement Center has tapped into reserves
- The agency says 78 custodians who were sent home are getting a paycheck
Brevard Achievement Center says about 78 of its custodians were sent home but are still getting a paycheck because it's dipping into its reserves. The agency mostly employs people with disabilities.
"It's mind blowing, it really is, especially working across from the vehicle assembly building," said Andrew Dehart, a custodial contractor at the Kennedy Space Center.
Dehart says it's wonderful working behind-the-scenes and seeing engineers working to get rockets space ready. He says he never thought he would get this opportunity. But a year into the job of his dreams, it all almost came crashing down in December because of the partial government shutdown.
Brevard Achievement Center spokesperson Rosalind Weiss says employees are still getting paid and will continue getting paid thanks to 80 percent of the center's budget coming from federal and commercial contracts. It was a decision the board agreed to quickly and will continue to pay staff as long as they can.
"The government shut down and our people got furloughed although NASA continues to release places that need custodial services because contractors are still working," Weiss said. "In fact NASA released another building today that needs custodial services."
Out of 772 employees, 95 work for NASA and only 16 are still there working on rotating shifts so everyone will get the same workload because everyone is getting paid the same. Despite the assurance, Weiss says that watching the government shutdown continue is making it unsettling for employees.
"Our employees are nervous, but fortunately since we are able to pay them their anxiety has lessened," Weiss said.
Those who are lucky enough to have job security during the shutdown, like Dehart, are not taking it for granted. He has a family to support—a wife, two kids and one on the way.
Dehart's wife currently works for Uber even though she's nine months pregnant because they are trying to generate as much income as possible because of the uncertainty around how long the government shutdown will last.
"I feel generous that we are getting paid and surprised about that even more than the other NASA workers that should be getting paid," Dehart said.