Posted on 02/09/2013 3:09:51 PM PST by Libloather
The president of the American Federation of Government Employees says a one-percent increase is "absolutely unconscionable."
The head of the largest federal employee union said Saturday that President Obama's proposal to increase pay for federal employees by 1 percent was "absolutely unconscionable" and "simply not enough."
"It is not enough to allow federal employees to make up lost ground from two-plus years of frozen pay. It is not enough to allow workers, most of whom earn very modest salaries ranging from $24,000 to $70,000, to maintain living standards. And it is not enough to send a message with any kind of clarity that the administration values the federal workforce and doesn't believe it should continue to bear an enormously disproportionate share of deficit reduction," David Cox Sr., the president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), said in a statement.
The White House told labor leaders of the proposed increase in the 2014 fiscal year budget in a phone call late Friday night. That raise would come on top of the half-point pay hike, scheduled to take effect in late March, which has been delayed as part of the "fiscal cliff" deal struck last month. Federal salaries have been frozen since 2011.
AFGE pledged in its statement to "work with friends in Congress who truly value the federal workforce," a signal that the union will likely lobby liberal members of Congress to oppose the president's budget.
Other union leaders have also voiced concern over the president's proposed pay raise, saying that the minimal increase over three years does little to compensate for the rising cost of living.
“While the president’s proposal for a 1 percent pay increase for federal workers in 2014 is better than a pay freeze, I don’t feel like jumping and shouting for joy,” Carl Goldman, executive director of the AFSCME Council 26 told Government Executive.
“There are a number of unanswered questions concerning the proposal: Will there also be locality pay increases that reflect the higher cost of living in many areas? Will there be a raise in federal employees’ contributions to the health insurance program, which could have the net effect of a pay cut? It is difficult to know exactly how to react until these and similar questions are answered," he said.
Still, other labor groups applauded the president's budget request.
“After all that federal workers have sacrificed the past three years, they have earned a raise,” William R. Dougan, national president of the National Federation of Federal Employees, told CNN. “I repeat, they have earned a raise. We are pleased to see the president take a bold stance and advocate for this badly-needed pay adjustment."
Despite the president's request for a raise, the likelihood that federal workers see an actual increase is very much in doubt. Congressional Republicans are unlikely to support the president's budget, and voted earlier this year to freeze the salaries of lawmakers and federal employees.
In a statement in January, House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) characterized Obama's push for a pay increase as "not necessary to retain talented employees and just wastes taxpayer money.”
“Federal employees have continued to receive promotions and within-grade pay increases over the past few years of the supposed ‘pay freeze,’ and voluntary separations from the federal government are near all-time lows,” he said.
Our Federal “servants” need to take a 10% hit to share the pain.
Juda Priest.
At least they have a job feeding at the public trough. They should be all getting a pay cut.
Please tell me what Federal Employees makes $24,000....or $11.00 an hour??
At least 10% if not more more would be good . . .
Budget? What budget.
Their pay has been frozen since 2011? Good for them!
I’m so glad we work for the government. Where would we be without the federal employees.
I say give them a 15% cut as a start. Every time they bitch knock a another percent off.
If they quit there are plenty of people to take their place.
It has been more than 10 percent over the last years. Keep dumping on the hard workers.
Tons! We have quite a few at the Naval Academy who are GS-4’s and make less than that.
If they quit there are plenty of people to take their place.
Most of the people you despise are veterans who work in government after they finish with the military. I am sure that they could just leave so the rest of you could take their place and be just as hated.
The men in black will probably get me for releasing this top secret info but I must. It will make anyone a rich and powerful person if they do it and I defy anyone to prove me wrong...
To become rich and powerful, one must simply go to DC and spout crazysness. That’s it. The more insane your statements, the more powerful and rich you become.
I submit as evidence this fool, Al Gore and Her Thighness.
Now no one has a reason to be poor. All the EBT types can buy all the bling they want legitimately. Because they now have the knowledge to get rich quick.
I think a 10% pay cut for some of these thugs is in order
Cry me a river.
Pay Raise for Federal Employees No Way No How! Dag nabit why not a 35% pay cut!. Hey I took a 45% pay cut, so as not to lay off any employees, cut my hours at the office too! It is my business, so I am trying to keep it alive too.
We need to eliminate about 15% of those bureaucratic positions, not replace them
Nuts!
“If they quit there are plenty of people to take their place.”
I am not of a favored race or color or religion. I will gladly take 10-15% less than them. Not having an axe to grind gives me a bit of a cost advantage. Not to mention that I don’t need to drive a Cadillac Esplanade to work.
I seem to remember reading somewhere in the past year that the average federal government salary is about double that of the private sector. Does anyone have a link to this info? Maybe under the guise of “equal pay for equal work” we could reduce federal salaries to be at the levels of their private sector counterparts. The federal employees unions always like to ignore the value of their health care and pension plans that are far better than 99% of the country, and create a crushing debt on our government budgets.
“Our Federal “servants” need to take a 10% hit to share the pain.”
While I don’t agree with the AFGE spokesman about the raise, and think federal employees, at this time, need to be thankful they are still employed. I also, think blanket idiotic statements like yours show deplorable ignorance. You really need to be quiet in that you don’t bring anything usefull to the discussion other than to show the tired old “I hate government workers” nonsense.
Just like the private sector, there are productive employees of the federal government, and there are unproductive ones.
Obviously, the time has come to reduce the federal workforce. I believe that a 10% reduction in employees, primary obtained by attrition, is the best idea put forward.
Let’s compromise 15% fewer positions, 15% pay cut. !!!!SOLD!!!!
I think we can come to some kind of an agreement on this.
I say fire 95% of them, then cut their pay and benefits to minimum wage, especially nappy and his/her buddy napscoordinator.
Then apply their pension fund in a rebate/refund to the tax payers.
Oops, meant to add excluding Military.
I really wouldn't have a problem with government "workers" collectively bargaining against the evil departments of the executive branch...
...if only a bunch of conservatives were allowed to participate in the negotiation process on behalf of the taxpayers.
Well why not just go on strike?
$70,000 is modest????
The US Department of Education has more than 6,000 employees and spends more than $70 billion a year. Nobody would even notice in their day to day lives if it was completely eliminated. It is one of the most useless agencies out there.
Completely Eliminate this one.
Even the liberal hero FDR was a gainst public sector unions:
Can you count to zero?
Fire 3/4 of ‘em. They are nothing but a gigantic drag on the economy and not one of them produces anything remotely useful.
I will repeat to all government employees who think they are entitled to a raise in this economy - “F. U.”
There are something like 70 different federal entitlement programs, I bet we could merge about 60 of them into a single agency and lay-off the excess, duplicate workforce. Make welfare a single monthly cash benefit, same benefit nationally (states can throw in something if they want) and we could probably save $25 or so billion dollars a year without even cutting the actual benefits. Overhead eats up a third of the budget anyone so we cut that overhead down to the bone.
maybe a PT janitor but if you throw in the benefits it jumps to $50,000
Four of the five richest counties in this country...and seven of the ten richest...are suburbs of Washington DC,the one major city that produces nothing of value.
Yes, exclude the military but all those mandates and non-military projects under the DoD budget those sneaky politicians put in there can be taken out!
Absolutely disgusting.
It is one of the most useless agencies out there.
As is the remaining unconstitutional alphabet agencies with their unions and their pension plans.
This subject really chaps my hide.
Goes for the States too.
do we need a Constitutional Amendment to forbid the government from funding non-government organizations?
I used to be a Fed employee, twice!
They are supposed to be our servants and they can do what I did, jump to the private sector to maximize my value from both the return to society and the return to me (they are related).
Conceptually I agree, but I think any private sector business with similar (aggregate) productivity or with such budget pressures would act with much more urgency than to attrit 10% of its workforce out over 3-4 years. IMHO a 10% immediate cut and another 10% attrition seems more appropriate. If that were done I'd be fine with 2-3% annual increases for those who remain.
We could probably eliminate all corporate subsidies, almost all agricultural subsidies too.
Our public "servants" are NOT!
I've had more than enough of arrogance on the part of gov't folks beating on me.
This from a guy representing employees who are currently paid 40% more than in the public sector to do half the work.
“simply not enough.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
A 10% nibble, guys? You can’t be serious? It took what, maybe a decade to double the fed workforce? Maybe two decades. We could easily lop off 50% and not miss a beat. With that many fewer people interfering with our markets and daily lives, everything would improve immensely.
You sack 10% and they’ll be back on the payroll as consultants the following Monday. You sack 50% and that’s much harder to make happen.
Yep, sneaky little buzzards can't keep their hands out of the honey pot (trillions of dollars)
Power, money and beautiful women can corrupt the best men...all three are ubiquitous in DC.
Please don't misread me, I fully agree with what you just wrote. I'd eliminate entire departments if given the chance, and private sector productivity would soar (I'm talking about you, EPA). But I don't think the public at large would ever get behind something like that. However I think if a serious campaign was mounted to eliminate 10% up front and another 10% via attrition that people would generally agree with the proposal.
often other peoples power, money and women!
*******
"List of agencies and units of agencies Agencies in bold text are LEAs (Law Enforcement Agencies)
Executive Branch Legislative Branch
Library of Congress, Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness (LOC) Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate United States Capitol Police (USCP) United States Government Printing Office Police Office of Inspector General, United States Government Printing Office
Judicial Branch
Marshal of the United States Supreme Court United States Supreme Court Police Administrative Office of the United States Courts, Office of Probation and Pretrial Services (AOUSC)
Other federal law enforcement agencies
Independent Agencies and Quasi-official Corporations Central Intelligence Agency Security Protective Service (CIASPS) United States Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division (EPACID) Office of Inspector General (EPAOIG) National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASAOIG) NASA Security Services Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Inspector General (NRCOIG) Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General (OPMOIG) Railroad Retirement Board, Office of Inspector General (RRBOIG) Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (SBAOIG) Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDICOIG) General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General (GSAOIG) Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSAOIG) United States Postal Service (USPS) USPS Office of Inspector General (USPSOIG) United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) U.S. Postal Police Smithsonian Institution Office of Protection Services (SI) National Zoological Park Police (NZPP) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Amtrak Amtrak Office of Inspector General Amtrak Office of Security Strategy and Special Operations (OSSSO) Amtrak Police Federal Reserve Bank: Federal Reserve Police Tennessee Valley Authority Tennessee Valley Authority Office of Inspector General (TVAOIG) Tennessee Valley Authority Police (TVAP) United States Agency for International Development, Office of Inspector General (AIDOIG)
Statistics
In 2004, federal agencies employed approximately 105,000 full-time personnel authorized to make arrests and carry firearms in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Compared with 2002, employment of such personnel increased by 13%. Nationwide, there were 36 federal officers per 100,000 residents. Outside the District of Columbia, which had 1,662 per 100,000, State ratios ranged from 90 per 100,000 in Arizona to 7 per 100,000 in Iowa. As of 2004, about 3 in 4 federal law enforcement officers working outside the Armed Forces were employed within the Department of Homeland Security or the Department of Justice. Federal officers’ duties included criminal investigation (38%), police response and patrol (21%), corrections and detention (16%), inspections (16%), court operations (5%), and security and protection (4%). Women accounted for 16% of federal officers in 2004, an increase from 14.8% in 2002. A third (33.2%) of federal officers were members of a racial or ethnic minority in 2004. This included 17.7% who were Hispanic or Latino, and 11.4% who were black or African American. In 2002, racial or ethnic minorities officers comprised 32.4% of federal officers. Twenty-seven federal offices of inspector general (IG) employed criminal investigators with arrest and firearm authority in 2004. Overall, these agencies employed 2,867 such officers in the 50 states and District of Columbia.[3] "
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