THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 21, 1995 TAG: 9511210405
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
About 85 National Park Service Employees of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore returned to work Monday after Congress passed stop-gap legislation to keep the government operating.
Most government employees were furloughed last week after lawmakers and the Clinton administration were deadlocked over the federal budget.
The park employees returned to work at 8 a.m. and Park Service facilities were re-opened.
``Some accepted the situation, but for others it was very stressful,'' said Russell Berry, National Seashore director. ``They were concerned about being considered non-essential employees, and concerned about their pay because of the holidays coming up.''
Under the legislation, government workers will receive back pay for the days they were sent home.
But while federal employees will be reimbursed, Berry is concerned about employees of the Eastern National Park and Monument Association. Those workers staff bookstores and ticket counters at four sites in the Cape Hatteras Seashore.
As of now, berry said, there is no provision to pay association employees for time lost.
``I've written a letter to the president of the association, and asked him to take some of the funds generated by sales to reimburse these workers,'' Berry said.
During the shutdown, 15 park service employees - security and maintenance personnel - remained on duty. by CNB