'I’m putting my life on hold': Local federal worker discusses impact of government shutdown

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- At the beginning of last week, Brittany Covington was celebrating her engagement. 

"Instead of thinking about being a new bride and being all excited, I'm actually -- and weddings are expensive -- thinking of ways to cut back," she said. 

At the end of the week, she'd received a pay stub, with zeroes. 

"It's scary, it's the first time I haven't received a pay check," she said. 

Covington is an airway transportation system specialist, who is working without getting paid during the shutdown. 

"Maintain the radios that the air traffic control and pilots talk on to communicate at Mitchell airport, we maintain the instrument landing systems," she said.

She's also the chapter president for the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists. Members held signs at Mitchell Airport Saturday asking for an end to the government shutdown. 

"I just want the public to think to themselves how many pay checks could they go without? I don't know how many paychecks these government employees can go without and still keep going to work," said Covington. 

Covington is one of thousands of federal employees working without pay, but some of her co-workers are among those who have been furloughed. 

"There's a huge safety risk with my fellow co-workers not going to work. They are a group of safety inspectors that help oversee that the flight standards from the FAA," she said. 

"When we go to work, we shouldn't be thinking about anything else than maintaining the public safety, we shouldn't be thinking about if we can put food on the table."