After Shutdown, Between Blizzards, Washington Returns to Work

The federal workers of the most powerful nation on Earth, undaunted by world wars and cold war but humbled by budget backbiting and snow, finally trudged back to work Thursday after 24 days of frustrating furloughs and shutdown.

They did so on a freezing day when forecasters warned of more onslaughts of snow in the night and a budget agreement still hovered outside the grasp of politicians.

Some of those returning faced overwhelming accumulated work. When Tunna Burns approached the office of the Department of Labor in which she works, she found 81 crates of mail stacked up on both sides of the door.

“I was glad to be here,” she said. “But as I walked through the door, I started crying.”

To make the trek back to the stately federal buildings that grace the center of Washington, many workers faced the unprecedented experience of elbowing into tightly packed, gasping crowds on subway cars. An underground system proud of its cleanliness and civility took on all the ugly airs of New York in a rush-hour crush.

At the Labor Department, where the shutdown troubled the psyche of even those who deal with complex issues every day, Secretary Robert B. Reich welcomed workers with a dire warning: “I must be honest with you. We can’t guarantee that this outrageous siege will not be repeated.”

But many employees could not stamp out a hopeful mood. “Everyone’s glad to see each other,” said John Russell, a Justice Department employee. “They’re in a good mood and feel it’s good to be back at work. Most were going stir crazy at home.”

Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, dressed in a ski parka, arrived at her building at 7 a.m. but did not go directly to her office. Instead she stood in the cold hallway for several hours shaking hands and hugging department employees as they streamed through the front doors.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Henry G. Cisneros also welcomed returning workers at the front door. And Carol Browner, director of the Environmental Protection Agency, stood at the top of the escalator of the Waterfront Metro station for almost two hours to greet employees.

For many workers, the return climaxed a terrible stretch of uneasiness. Aside from Congress and the courts, the federal government employs 2.9 million workers throughout the world. Most escaped idleness. But a refusal by Congress in December to fund parts of the government in the absence of a budget agreement with President Clinton left 760,000 workers in bankrupt offices.

But despite the good feelings about returning, there was apprehension about the possibility of another shutdown on Jan. 26.