Government workers still uncertain about their future

Despite an agreement to temporarily end the government shutdown for three weeks, government employees say there's still a lot of uncertainty.

Some employees say it could be weeks before they get their missed pay, while others fear another government shutdown once the three-week period of re-opening the government ends.

Even though this was the longest government shutdown in history, experts said there hasn't been any long-lasting, damaging effects on the economy yet.

But they said if the shutdown continues after the three-week period expires, it could be very expensive.

"We understand and we realize that there’s a need," said Hassan Bawab, president of the Arab American Cultural Society.

Saturday afternoon, members of the Arab American Cultural Society gathered at DFW Airport to deliver 140 donated meals from local restaurants and $1,200 in gift cards to TSA employees.

TSA workers have been working through the government shutdown without pay, and volunteers say the need for help is still there despite Friday's temporary three-week solution.

"Some of them are saying it might be three weeks until they actually get paid. That’s when his three-week trial period ends, so they’re afraid they might get paid and then the shutdown is going to happen again," said Fatina Ozzie, vice president of the Arab American Cultural Society.

"Yes, it ended [Friday], but still these people need at least three weeks to get paid, so whatever they suffered, there’s no running away from it. Even if it ends [Friday]. there’s still a need," Bawab added.

SMU Cox School of Business professor Mike Davis says despite the most recent shutdown being the longest in U.S. history at 35 days, it's unlikely to have a major economic impact as it stands now.

"We haven't really seen the numbers, but it's unlikely we're going to see any big blip from the shutdown, and the reason is everyone knew the government employees were going to be paid," Davis said. "So it's been really tough for the government employees don't get me wrong, but at least in the many cases they've been able to kind of get by one way or another."

Davis said the concern is after the three week period of re-opening the government expires.

"The other thing people need to be aware of is there's a threat of another shutdown in about three weeks. Shutdowns are kind of expensive because when the government shuts down, it's not like you turn on the lights and leave. It takes a lot of money for a lot of these government agencies to plan what they're going to do if they can't operate," he said.

Experts also say it will be awhile before operations are back to normal in the federal agencies, and the threat of another possible shutdown in three weeks could be costly.