Tag Archives: Federal Workers

AFGE Blast President Obama For Cutting Federal Workers Retirements To Balance The Budget

  By New Hampshire Labor News | April 6, 2013 - 7:00 am | , ,
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AFGE Logo Small

WASHINGTON – American Federation of Government Employees National President J. David Cox Sr. today issued the following statement in response to reports that President Obama will propose $35 billion in cuts to federal employee retirement as part of his fiscal 2014 budget to be unveiled next week:

“The poets remind us that it is easier to forgive an enemy than a friend.  But it is hard to forgive our friend President Obama when his administration continues to act more and more like our enemies.

“His administration has frozen our pay for three years. It oversaw and approved shifting retirement system costs for new employees that will lower their salaries by 2.3% forever. The administration signed the Budget Control Act that brought us the sequester. It is implementing the sequester by imposing lengthy furloughs on federal workers while leaving the larger and costlier contractor workforce untouched. It pushes a cruel cut to Social Security, veterans’, and federal employee retirement benefits through the chained CPI.

“And now, a final act of betrayal. The White House proposes a fiscal 2014 budget with $35 billion MORE in retirement system cuts, accelerating the race to the bottom for federal workers and their families.

“We cannot understand how an administration that claims to stand up for working and middle class Americans can simultaneously push policies that would impose such enormous pain on its own workforce.

“This proposal is as unnecessary as it is cruel, and we urge lawmakers to reject it entirely.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 670,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.

Congress Adds Insult To Injury! Pay Freeze Continues As Sequester Sets In

  By Matt Murray | March 21, 2013 - 5:00 pm | , ,
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Smashed Piggy Bank Retirement

Smashed Piggy Bank RetirementLet me start by saying the last thing I want to see is a full government shutdown.  However once again Congress as a whole takes more from the piggy bank they call federal workers’ pay.

“Congress on Thursday agreed on a measure to keep the government running through the end of the fiscal year. The bill, which also extends the pay freeze on federal employees, now heads to President Obama.”  (GovExec.com)

What is becoming a normal situation for Congress, they are continuing to take more from the federal workers.  The first pay raise they would have seen in three years was killed by Congress.  This is on top of the fact that almost every government employee is facing a mandatory furlough of 11-22 days.

Furloughs are not vacation days as some people are saying.  These are days when workers are forced off from work and are not paid.  For those people who are being forced to take a 22 day furlough, that is a 12% reduction in pay, or in more simple terms, a loss of one month of pay (over the next six months).

This continuing resolution does absolutely nothing to stop the sequester cuts.

“I remain deeply dissatisfied that sequestration is not addressed and will slash the very priorities I believe all of us came here to fulfill,” said House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Nita Lowey, D-N.Y. (GovExec.com)

As I said before, a full government shutdown is the worst possible thing for federal employees and the entire United States.  The fact that we almost shut down in 2011, cost us in our national credit rating.

The sequester cuts have already started to have an impact on business.  According to the Huffington Post and the AP, workers are being laid off already.

  • On Monday, 250 workers at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state received pink slips, while another 2,500 others found out they’re facing furloughs. Approximately 9,000 people work at the nation’s most contaminated nuclear site, and the Associated Press reports that “cleanup is likely to be slowed” because of the budget cuts.
  • Continental Maritime, a contractor that repairs U.S. Navy ships, expects to lay off 185 employees, effective April 12. Other contractors have issued conditional layoff notices — meaning that jobs are safe if Congress restores some funding to the Defense Department — to thousands of employees.
  • Four-hundred eighteen contract workers tied to the Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania are losing their jobs due to sequestration. Two-hundred sixteen people will be dismissed on April 15 and 107 on April 30, the Morning Call of Allentown, Pa., reports. The paper noted that the Tobyhanna Army Depot is losing 35 percent — $309 million — of its government funding through the end of the fiscal year, and that more than 5,100 of the people who work there are being forced to take 22 furlough days.
  • At least eight municipal employees in Monterey County, Calif., are losing their jobs as a result of a decrease in the number of military contracts.
  • In early March, 23 people who work with the parks and recreation and maintenance departments in Tooele County, Utah, were laid off in order to grapple with the federal budget cuts. “I have four kids. This is my livelihood,” said Scott Chance, a 12-year employee. “It pays my health insurance. It gives me my house.”
  • Engineering Services Network is an engineering and technology company and one of the top Latino-owned companies in Virginia. President and CEO Raymond Lopez Jr. told NBC Latino that he has “lost about 20 employees through sequestration.”
  • The Red River Army Depot in Texarkana, Texas, announced in February that it was cutting 414 jobs – about 10 percent of its workforce. “I don’t know how we’re going to make it,” Raymond Wyrick, whose last day was scheduled to be March 9, told CNN Money.

Someone please tell me: how is preserving these sequester cuts in the continuing resolution going to help our economy?  How is cutting services, cutting personnel, and cutting families’ income helping our economy? Federal workers are already at the mercy of Congress. On top of sequestration, this continuing resolution that keeps the 0.5% raise off the table is just another slap in the face to federal workers.

Federal workers are not a piggy bank that Congress can turn to, every time it wants help balancing the federal budget.

There are other options.  Ending special corporate tax breaks would pay for the sequester cuts twice over.   Ending tax breaks on unearned income would pay for the sequester cuts — plus everything the House GOP wants to cut from next year’s federal budget.

Hungry like a (baby) wolfRemember, too, that maintaining the sequester cuts means that 600,000 young children from low-income families are losing the free food they had been receiving through a U.S. government nutrition program.

Smack down federal employees (again) and take food away from hungry children.  Is this the best six-month budget that our Congress can come up with?   

4,700 jobs at stake, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard workers to rally against sequestration

  By New Hampshire Labor News | March 20, 2013 - 3:33 pm | , ,
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Budget Cuts Image

Seacoast residents to demand Congress close Wall Street loopholes before cutting jobs, social safety net

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard workers from Maine and New Hampshire will call on Congress to cancel sequestration and protect working families in a rally on Wednesday, March 20th at Prescott Park in Portsmouth. NH. Other Maine and New Hampshire residents impacted by sequestration will join them in demanding that Congress cancel the sequester and make Wall Street and the richest 2% of Americans pay their fair share instead of looking for new cuts from Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security.

Ron Ault, president of the Metal Trades Department, representing more than 100,000 private sector workers in shipyards across the country, will speak. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is the second largest employer on the Seacoast, employing approximately 4,700 civilian employees in Maine and New Hampshire.

WHO: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard workers, Bath Ironworks shipbuilders, seniors, concerned community members, and advocates for at-risk families

WHAT: Rally to end sequestration and protect the social safety net

WHERE: Prescott Park, Portsmouth, NH

WHEN: Thursday, March 21, at noon

Labor Unions Join States In ‘DOMA’ Constitutionality Fight

  By Matt Murray | March 2, 2013 - 10:31 am | ,
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Gay Marriage Rainbow Flag Rings

Gay Marriage Rainbow Flag RingsAs expected the State of New Hampshire has jumped into the fight to find the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional. DOMA is Congresses response to state allowing ‘gay marriage’.  New Hampshire and many other states have already passed laws giving the same-sex couples the same rights as any other married couple.

To ensure that New Hampshire’s citizens and all Americans are treated equally under the law, Governor Maggie Hassan and Attorney General Mike Delaney announced today that New Hampshire has joined more than a dozen other states in two amicus briefs to the United States Supreme Court defending the right to civil marriage for all couples, regardless of sexual orientation.

“Throughout our history, every time we have sought to include all people in the life of our democracy, we have grown stronger,” Governor Hassan said. “I’m proud that New Hampshire has led the way in ensuring marriage equality for all of our citizens, because encouraging strong marriages for loving couples strengthens families and communities. We are urging the Supreme Court to strike down these discriminatory measures because all New Hampshire married couples should receive fair and equal treatment from the federal government.”

Although New Hampshire legally recognizes their marriages, same-sex couples continue to be discriminated against by the federal government. For example, same-sex spouses on a family health plan have to pay taxes on the coverage, while other married couples do not. Same sex couples cannot file their taxes jointly. Nor can they collect survivor benefits.

“First and foremost, this is a fairness and civil rights issue, but it is also an economic issue for our state, our businesses and our families,” Governor Hassan said.

Governor Hassan is right, this is our generations civil rights fight.  Before it was a woman’s right to vote, then it was equal rights for all regardless of color, now it is equal rights for all regardless of sexual orientation.

This is also why I was proud to see that the State of New Hampshire will have some good company in this fight to overturn DOMA.  The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) joined with the AFL-CIO and other labor organizations in urging the U.S. Supreme Court to declare the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional.

“The Defense of Marriage Act discriminates against a group of Americans for no other reason than their sexual orientation, denying them basic rights and protections that so many of us take for granted,” AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. said. “It is time for the Supreme Court to strike down this unconstitutional law so all of our citizens are treated equally under the law, no matter who they choose to marry.”

“The Defense of Marriage Act discriminates against a group of Americans for no other reason than their sexual orientation, denying them basic rights and protections that so many of us take for granted,” AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. said. “It is time for the Supreme Court to strike down this unconstitutional law so all of our citizens are treated equally under the law, no matter who they choose to marry.”

AFGE was actively involved in preparing the amicus brief filed today by the AFL-CIO (a federation of 56 unions, including AFGE), Change to Win and the National Education Association. AFGE also is supporting efforts to strike down the 2008 ballot initiative that declared same-sex marriage illegal in California, and filed a legal brief in 2011 in a separate case brought by federal employees with same-sex spouses and survivors of federal employees who have been denied federal benefits under DOMA.

“By denying married, same-sex couples access to the same federal benefits that heterosexual married couples receive, DOMA violates the constitutional principles upon which this country was founded,” AFGE General Counsel David Borer said.

“Federal employees who are married to a spouse of the same-sex have been directly harmed by DOMA,” said Leisha Self, AFGE Legal Rights Attorney for the 14th District. In addition to disparate treatment with regard to federal taxes, federal employees can’t add their same-sex spouses to their benefits, often forcing them to pay higher costs or receive less coverage for health insurance, vision and dental insurance and flexible spending accounts.

“Denying some federal employees, solely because of their sexual orientation, the benefits that their co-workers enjoy is unfair to these dedicated civil servants and their spouses, and it is antithetical to federal non-discrimination principles,” Self said. “AFGE cannot support this unfair, separate and unequal approach to federal employee benefits.”

The repercussions of this decision will have dramatic and lasting implications throughout the United States.  If the law is overturned this would allow for same-sex couples to receive the same benefits from the federal government as any married couple. This could also begin to force those state who are currently opposing to adopt a legislative change to allow for ‘gay marriage’.

Today I am proud of my Governor and all of the Labor Unions who have joined in this fight to protect the rights of our LGBT community.

Are You Kidding Me? Sen Ayotte Wants Federal Workers To Pay For Budget Cuts

  By New Hampshire Labor News | February 27, 2013 - 11:06 am | ,
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New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte (AP Photo/Cheryl Senter)
New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte (AP Photo/Cheryl Senter)

New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte (AP Photo/Cheryl Senter)

GovExc release this article, “GOP Sequester Alternative Targets Federal Pay, Benefits.”

I will give you some of the highlights of Senator Ayottes grand plan, stop me if you have heard any of this before.

“Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., drafted the bill — the 2013 Sequester Replacement and Spending Reduction Act — which includes provisions to extend the federal pay freeze through 2014 and increase current employees’ pension contributions by 2.3 percent over three years.”

“The bill ends the government’s Federal Employees Retirement System annuity supplement for anyone hired after Dec. 31, 2013″

“…it seeks to reduce funding for the 2010 Affordable Care Act”

There is absolutely nothing new here.  Another part of this plan is to reduce the federal workforce by 10%. “Under the plan, for every three federal employees who left their job, the federal government would be allowed to hire one.”  This is the GOP trying to shrink government.  Less people working mean less government, right?

There are huge problems with this because as the sequester is about to hit all of the government agencies have released reports on what will have to happen when these automatic cuts take place.  Most of the government will be faced with mandatory furloughs or forced time off.  Most of the furloughs range from 11-22 days, essentially one month off in the next six.  The FAA reports drastic delays and airport closures. FBI Director Robert Mueller has said $550 million in cuts to the bureau “would have the net effect of cutting 2,285 employees”.  National Parks will be closed due to lack of staffing.  Less agents to patrol our borders. Less agents to check our food. The list goes on and on and on.

While workers are being forced into unpaid time off, Senator Ayotte is suggesting we continue the downward spiral by freezing pay for another two years and reducing the staff.  As you can see by the effects of the furloughs reducing the staff is going to work out great for everyone.

At the Portsmouth naval shipyard that would mean reducing (or cutting) 470 jobs, while they are already overloaded with work.

We need congress to reject this proposal and come up with something new.  This continual attack on the hard working middle class employees in the federal sector have already given up so much.

“National Federation of Federal Employees National President William R. Dougan said in a statement. “Rather than proposing a serious solution to sequestration, Senator Ayotte and her GOP colleagues have chosen to dust off well-worn attacks on federal employees that do nothing to fix the problem. Federal employees have already endured over two years of frozen pay and an increase in retirement contributions that will save the government $103 billion over the next decade.”

How Much More Does The GOP In The US House Want From Federal Employees???

  By Matt Murray | February 15, 2013 - 3:19 pm |
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money lock

In January the NHLN reported that the Republicans in the US House were trying to steal from the Federal Workers, by attempting to block the .5% raise proposed by President Obama.

Today the House GOP cemented their distain for Federal Workers by voting to freeze workers pay for the rest of FY 13.   The vote was mostly down party lines 261 to 154 according to GovExec.com

“Democrats used the hour-long floor debate Thursday and Friday on the bill to defend federal workers, but also to accuse Republicans of failing to avoid sequestration, which is scheduled to begin March 1.”

Well I guess that would mean that money is going to be used to offset sequestration cuts right?  WRONG!

“Nixing an across-the-board pay increase for feds this year would save the government $11 billion over a decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Ga., said on Thursday that agencies could use the savings from extending the pay freeze through 2013 for other federal programs. The money saved would not go toward overall deficit reduction or replacing any part of the sequester.” – GovExec.com (emphasis added)

After the vote, J. David Cox, President of the American Federation of Government Employees had this to say:

“Today, 261 House members voted to deny a quarter of a percent pay raise to more than 2 million federal employees, whose salaries have been frozen since January 2010. This vote sends an extremely insulting and hostile message to the VA nursing assistant who makes $27,000 a year, to the USDA meat inspector who earns $32,000 a year, to the federal penitentiary correctional officer who earns less than $39,000 a year.

The message from these House members is loud and clear: we don’t value the work that you do, and we think you should continue to be picked on because we oppose the services you provide to the American people.

These lawmakers persist in voting to freeze federal employee salaries year after year, yet they turn a blind eye to the rapid growth in taxpayer-funded salaries of contractor employees. The cap in contractor compensation has more than doubled in the past 10 years and jumped 10 percent in the past year alone, to a whopping $763,000. Capping these contractor salaries at a more reasonable $200,000 a year would save taxpayers at least $5 billion every year, or $50 billion over 10 years.”

When will the Republican in Congress stop using the federal workers as their budgeting piggy bank.  These are hard working middle class families how are more than deserving of a pay raise.  Many of them have not seen a pay raise in years do to Congressional pay freezes that resulted in over $120 billion in give backs.

Everyone including government employees understand the issues facing the federal government right now.  Congress must stop stealing from the workers to pay their debts.

Republicans even connected Congressional pay to federal workers pay. Democrats tried to make H.R. 273 two separate votes, but Republican leaders refused to allow one vote to freeze Congressional pay and one vote to freeze federal employee pay.

Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH) understands. That is why she voted against this bill.

“Today, House Leadership put a bill on the floor to freeze the pay of hard-working middle class federal workers for the third year in a row, and tried to get Members of Congress to join them by adding Member pay to the bill.  I have in the past voted against and would continue to vote against raising my own pay, which is excellent, but I will not vote against a modest pay raise for middle class federal workers—about $5 a week for a worker earning $50,000 a year.  Leadership should concentrate on closing loopholes and reforming the tax code instead of shrinking middle class wages.”

We Must Work To Preserve Thousands Of Federal Jobs

  By Matt Murray | December 19, 2012 - 4:00 pm | ,
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Save our jobs (AFSCME)

For months now the NH Labor News has been warning people that sequestration could lead to huge cuts to the Federal workforce.  The people at GovExec.com have been collecting and compiling all the information around these cuts.

From GovExec Report:

Commerce Department: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association could face the loss of 2,500 jobs in weather and satellite programs. 10,780 new jobs in water infrastructure would be threatened.
Defense Departments: The department is in the early stages of planning. Civilians could face furloughs and a hiring freeze.
Education Department:Furloughs are possible, according to Secretary Arne Duncan.
Federal Aviation Administration: As many as 2,200 air traffic controllers could be furloughed.
Federal courts: 20,000 employees could be furloughed for 16 days.
Homeland Security Department:24,500 jobs could be slashed.
Justice Department:Possible five-week furloughs for FBI employees. 7,500 positions could be eliminated.
NASA:20,500 contractors could lose their jobs.
Social Security Administration: Employees could be furloughed for two to three weeks.
Veterans Affairs Department: Mostly exempt from sequestration.

These numbers represent real middle class families throughout the country.  These cuts could push struggling families over the edge.

I still cannot wrap my head around the thinking in Congress that cutting thousands of jobs will reduce unemployment??

Sequestration Could Mean Dangerous Cuts To Aviation

  By Matt Murray | December 14, 2012 - 7:00 am | ,
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air traffic controller

There is no doubt that without the dedication and skill of the FAA’s Air Traffic Controllers, the entire country would suffer.  In a new report from the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, NATCA explains what could happen if the mandatory ’Sequestration’ cuts take effect.

The report states that all users and operators of the National Airspace System including travelers, general aviation pilots, airlines, businesses and the military will feel the impact of the cuts in the form of a reduction in airport and air traffic control services, a diminishing of the NAS’s flight capacity, increased delays and costs to airlines and lags in air traffic modernization.

NATCA warns that if the FAA budget is cut it could result in the furlough of over 2000 air traffic controllers (12% of the workforce).  ”This could lead to a reduction in services.” To the public, this mean delays, less available flights and higher costs.

“As the front line safety professionals in the aviation community, it is our role to warn the rest of the country that these cuts will be detrimental to our National Airspace System and the economy,” said NATCA President Paul Rinaldi.

Currently the National Airspace System moves an average of two million passengers on 70,000 flights a day.  A reduction in flights would result in the potential layoff to pilots, flight attendants, ramp agents, ticket agents, and other aviation related jobs.   Aviation is attributed to 10 million jobs and contributes over $1.3 trillion dollars to the GDP.

The air traffic controllers would not be the only ones in the FAA to be hit with mandatory furloughs and layoffs.  In addition to the 2000 air traffic controllers who will be furloughed,  the FAA will have to furlough 7,500 engineers, inspectors, and aviation professionals.  These layoffs would also indefinitely delay all NextGen modernization projects currently being worked on by the FAA.

“The U.S. has the safest and most efficient airspace in the world and the FAA needs appropriate funding to continue directing it,” said NATCA Executive Vice President Trish Gilbert. “If Congress allows sequestration to become a reality, the aviation community and the economy will take a major hit. We cannot afford to let that happen.”

It is obvious that we cannot let the ‘Sequestration’ cut take effect.  We need Congress and the President to take action to avoid this potentially dangerous situation.  We elected our legislators in Washington to speak for us, not against us.  We need them to come to an agreement before these cuts take effect and send thousands of good jobs out the door.

 

View NATCA’s full report on the impacts of sequestration.

AFGE Leads Coalition Effort To Avoid Further Cuts To Federal Wages

  By New Hampshire Labor News | December 4, 2012 - 6:00 pm | , ,
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AFGE Letter to Congress

Federal employees have already taken $103 billion hit, new ad reminds Congress

WASHINGTON – The American Federation of Government Employees is leading a coalition of more than two dozen groups, representing nearly 5 million active and retired federal and postal workers, that are calling on Congress to keep employee wages and benefits off the table during the fiscal cliff negotiations.

The organizations, all members of the Federal-Postal Coalition, signed an open letter to Congress initiated by AFGE that will be published in tomorrow’s Politico newspaper, which is distributed to every lawmaker on Capitol Hill.

The advertisement (see attachment) seeks to remind lawmakers that federal and postal employees are the only group of Americans who have personally sacrificed to help reduce the nation’s deficit. Federal employees have not received a pay raise since January 2010, while federal and postal employees hired after the end of this year will pay four times more for their pensions than current workers.

“To date, middle-class federal and postal workers together have endured $103 billion in cuts to their wages and pensions over 10 years. That amounts to a $50,000 pay cut to every employee,” the ad states.

“These dedicated and hardworking civil servants simply can’t afford another round of cuts to their pay or benefits,” the ad continues. “It’s time for others to contribute.”

The ad is the latest in a series of efforts by AFGE and other federal employee organizations to protect federal employee wages and benefits from further cuts. The Federal-Postal Coalition sent a letter to each member of Congress on Nov. 19, detailing the substantial sacrifices made by federal workers thus far.

AFGE also has set up telephone hotlines so federal employees can call their representatives and senators directly and urge them to oppose any cuts to pay and benefits for working class Americans. The House hotline number is 1-888-907-5171; the Senate number is 1-888-907-8362.

Unions Lobbying To Keep Federal Workers Out Of Debt Reduction Plans

  By Matt Murray | December 2, 2012 - 8:00 am | ,
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fiscal-cliff-taxes-congress

There has been a lot of talk in Washington about the ‘Fiscal Cliff’. It is dominating the new media outlets.  Some of the largest and most powerful unions helping members get in touch with their elected representatives in Congress.   Some are meeting face-to-face.

The Hill reported:

“Hundreds of union members will be on Capitol Hill this week to lobby lawmakers to leave entitlements alone and let tax cuts for the wealthy expire.”

“Union members from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the National Education Association (NEA) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) will also be on Capitol Hill this week to lobby lawmakers.”

Richard Trumka President of the AFL-CIO stated:

“We just had an election in which one candidate proposed to lower tax rates for the richest 2% of Americans and cut benefits for Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare. He lost,” Trumka says in the letter. “We ask you to respect the will of the voters and promise to (1) let Bush tax rates for the richest 2% of Americans expire in December and (2) oppose benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid.”

AFSCME and American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) are really making the push to leave Federal Workers out of the deficit reduction plans.   Just the other night AFSCME President Lee Saunders was a guest on “The Ed Show”  to talk about what needs to happen during these negotiations.  Increasing taxes on the top two per-cent and leaving Federal Employees out.

The Ed Show

The Republicans on the Hill are already pushing out their ideas.  GovExec.Com reports that many of the unions are already rejecting the GOP proposal due to another three year pay freeze.

“Federal employee unions have come out strongly against a new Republican deficit reduction proposal that includes a three-year pay freeze extension for the federal workforce and increases the amount employees would pay into their pensions.”

“A problem as serious as the fiscal cliff deserves serious solutions, and Sen. Corker’s proposal sadly falls short of that mark,” William R. Dougan, national president of the National Federation of Federal Employees, said in a statement. “Though his proposal contains many promising provisions such as capping tax deductions and means-testing entitlements, the remainder reads like a greatest hits album of anti-federal employee policies. Under Sen. Corker’s proposal federal workers would pay more for health care, more for retirement and do it all on a smaller paycheck — that is, if they still have a job.”

President Dougan is referring to the employee attrition plan that would hire one employee to replace every three that leave.

AFGE is planning a nationwide phone bank for members. They are encouraging their members to call 1 (888) 907-5171 to be patched through to their Congressional Reps.

The federal workers need our help.  Look up your Representatives here, and then call them.  Use this sample script below (from AFGE).

Urge your representative and senators to end the Bush tax cuts for the richest 2% — those making more than $250,000 a year. And urge them to oppose any cuts to federal pay and pensions, critical services, and Social Security and Medicare. Remind them that middle class Americans, particularly federal employees, have sacrificed enough. It’s time for the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share.

Even if you are not a federal worker, they need our help.  Make the call, these programs they want to cut will not only hurt federal workers but all working middle class families and seniors.