Federal agencies are only funded through Friday, Dec. 11—a fast-approaching deadline, with anxiety rising among federal employees and unions.

In addition to continued funding for agencies, departments—and federal payroll—also in play is the federal pay raise.

“The federal pay raise for 2021 is also part of the talks,” the National Treasury Employees Union noted in a recent statement on the situation. “NTEU is pushing for a fair pay raise, adequate funding and timely action to avoid a government shutdown.Throughout recent months, NTEU has pushed for a reasonable raise—and, along with other unions, expressed frustration with the prospect of failing to get one.

Yet, the Trump administration recently reversed on its promise, earlier this year, to provide even a small bump—slashing a pledged 1% raise down to zero.

“It’s clear the Trump administration doesn’t value the work that … public servants do,” the American Federation of Government Employees said in a press release. “AFGE condemns President Trump for his support of the pay freeze and for flip-flopping on his earlier pay raise proposal.”

The president of the union offered more detail, with some choice words.

“The fact that President Trump backtracked on his promise of a pay increase is insulting to the federal workers risking their lives on the front lines of this pandemic to ensure government services go uninterrupted, our prisons stay secure, our military stays ready, airline passengers stay safe, and our veterans get the care they need,” Everett Kelley, AFGE’s president, said. “The Trump Administration knows that federal employees have been underpaid for years and deserve a raise … Now that the election results are in, they are reneging on that promise, and that’s just demeaning, dishonest, and cruel.” NTEU likewise expressed growing concern. “As negotiations continue, NTEU will keep fighting for a fair pay increase for all federal employees and adequate agency funding,” the union said in a recent statement.

Another major advocate for feds, the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, has also attacked the pay freeze proposal. Other, equally dear issues to federal employees and their families are also in play. Funding for these may be wrapped into this or other end-of-year funding legislation—most notably, coronavirus relief for the many millions among the public and fed spouses and children out of work and otherwise disrupted by the COVID pandemic. And just like previous loggerhead moments on Capitol Hill in recent years, stories emphasizing concerns and stopgap solutions are popping up in the major media as the time left for negotiations fast runs out.