As the U.S. government shutdown stretches into its 40th day, its effects are being felt far beyond the corridors of Washington, D.C. Across Europe, thousands of local employees, teachers, and support staff at American military bases are grappling with unpaid wages, mounting financial stress, and a growing sense of uncertainty. While U.S. troops have found some relief through temporary pay measures, civilian workers and educators have been left in limbo, relying on the goodwill of host governments or simply soldiering on without compensation.
According to the Associated Press, the shutdown, which began nearly six weeks ago, has interrupted salaries for at least 2,000 people working at overseas American military bases in Europe. In some countries, including Italy and Portugal, local staff have continued to work without pay, holding out hope that political gridlock in Washington will soon be resolved. In other cases, host governments have stepped in to cover wages temporarily, with the expectation that the United States will eventually reimburse them once the impasse ends.
Italy has been especially vocal in urging Washington to resolve the salary delays affecting about 2,000 local staff at the U.S. bases in Aviano and Vicenza after missed payments in October. Angelo Zaccaria, a union coordinator at Aviano Air Base, described the situation as dire. “It’s an absurd situation because nobody has responses, nobody feels responsible,” Zaccaria told the Associated Press. “This is having dramatic effects on us Italian workers.”
The hardship is not limited to Aviano and Vicenza. Over 900 local employees at those two bases, plus another 400 at a base in Livorno, have not received their salaries since the shutdown began. “We are waiting for urgent responses, as there are workers struggling to pay their mortgages, to support their children or even to pay the fuel to come to work,” Zaccaria explained. He added that the union had asked the Italian government to intervene, but so far, those affected have continued to show up for work, despite the lack of pay. “Unfortunately, we see no political will to solve this situation, but we’re asking the Italian government to intervene.”
Portugal faces a similar predicament at the Lajes Field base in the Azores, where more than 360 Portuguese workers have not been paid. Paula Terra, head of the Lajes base workers’ committee, noted that unpaid staff are still turning up because furloughs are not legally recognized under the U.S.-Portugal agreement on the base. “Staying away could leave them open to disciplinary proceedings,” she said. This week, the Azores Islands regional government approved a bank loan to pay the Portuguese workers at the base in the interim, though Terra was still waiting to hear when workers could claim the money.
In Germany, the government has stepped in more decisively, covering the salaries of nearly 11,000 civilian employees at U.S. military bases, including the crucial Ramstein Air Base. The German finance ministry told the Associated Press that it expects to be repaid once the shutdown ends, a practice consistent with previous shutdowns when the U.S. government eventually paid back full-time employees, including foreign nationals. However, Linda Bilmes, a professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and an expert on public finance, cautioned that contractors are generally most at risk of losing pay during shutdowns. “But I doubt anyone anticipated this length of delay,” Bilmes said.
Spain, too, has seen disruption, though a payment delay last month for more than 1,000 Spanish workers at the Moron and Rota military bases was resolved with government assistance. The Spanish defense ministry did not respond to multiple requests to confirm its involvement, but unions credit the government with stepping in to help.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has remained largely silent on the pay disruption. When contacted by the Associated Press, a spokesperson offered only a brief statement: “We value the important contributions of our local national employees around the world.” The official declined to answer any follow-up questions.
For many local employees, the work they do is essential to the daily functioning of American military bases. From food service and construction to logistics and maintenance, their roles are varied and vital. Some are direct hires, while others are employed by private companies contracted by the U.S. government. Payment arrangements differ by country, based on specific agreements between the U.S. and host nations, explained Amber Kelly-Herard, a public affairs spokesperson for the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa. During the shutdown, local employees are expected to continue working under their contracts, even as paychecks fail to arrive.
But the strain is not just financial. Donna Irwin, a substitute teacher at a naval base in Italy, described the emotional toll on educators and students alike. Speaking to Fox News, Irwin said, “It has been absolutely terrible to watch and the morale at the school, I mean it’s low.” The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), which operates 161 schools in 11 countries, serves over 67,000 military-connected children with more than 14,000 employees. Many educators and staff are working without pay, unable to take second jobs due to contract restrictions, and are even paying out of pocket for school supplies and snacks for their students.
Jessica Tackaberry, DoDEA Communications Operations Chief, acknowledged the difficulties faced by educators and staff. In a statement to Fox News on November 10, 2025, she said, “We remain committed to providing a world-class education and understand the difficulties this situation may create for our dedicated educators and staff who are working without pay. DoDEA is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to provide guidance and support to employees as needed.”
Irwin, who teaches in a special education classroom, recounted how she’s had to dip into her own limited funds to buy essentials for her students. “I have no budget for any of that in my current classroom, so I’ve been having to go to the commissary myself and make do, trying to buy things that I can’t afford right now for these students who desperately need those life skills,” she said. She also shared the worries of her students, who are too young to fully grasp the politics behind the shutdown but are nonetheless anxious about their next meal. “I think the saddest thing for me is watching my students come in, and they don’t fully understand everything that’s happening with the government and with politics and to see them worried, to see them worry about, ‘Am I going to have a meal tomorrow, am I going to have a meal today?’”
As the shutdown drags on, unions in Italy and elsewhere are warning of mounting hardship and the possibility of labor action if the impasse continues. For now, many workers are caught between loyalty to their jobs and the harsh reality of unpaid bills and growing debt. Their resilience is remarkable, but patience is wearing thin as the world watches and waits for a resolution from Washington.
For the thousands of local employees and educators supporting U.S. military operations overseas, the shutdown’s impact is personal, immediate, and increasingly unsustainable.
