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.
Yikes, you really know how to piss off a FReeper don’t you?
LOL, disgusting isn’t it?
Fire them all. We could get along without several dozen leeching federal alphabet agencies.
See #51.
My bad.
Not only are they getting excellent wages AND getting a raise, they are not effected by Obamacare. They have the Golden Cadillac of insurance (just like our elected officials)
Almost correct. We need 10% of Federal Employees to no longer BE Federal employees. . .
bump
No worries, your first post got the point across, the second, well, I just threw my monitor against the wall!!
Just kidding.....
Give me a break. I say, cut all Federal Employees pay and Benefits package 5% each year. When people start quiting, then we will know what the real value of their jobs are worth.
Why? Not everything about the military is sacred, as the Department of Defense is every bit as bloated as the rest of the federal government. There are tons of fat that could be cut without reducing combat capability. Sadly, the DOD bureaucrats will cut the muscle before trimming an ounce of sacred blubber.
As Mitt Romney explained to Neil Cavuto last year, "Bankruptcy concentrates the mind." We must cut everything or else we will collapse.
At least a 25% cut across the board. Go back to the GWB era, and cut from there. Boy oh boy, if I was in charge.......
Funny, that is exactly what I meant.
My son in law, 5 times deployed, should be paid a gazillion dollars, no, his family is on food stamps. F the military this gov says, hhs and epa employees need to earn more. This is so F’d up.
Four years more of this crap.
Good stratergy. I'd suggest 5%/yr for 20 years.
BTTT!
So, how many of you are here today to play? Wow, looks like a GREAT Turnout this evening! I see thousands of you... well, thank you EVERYBODY for coming. Wonderful to see such enthusiasm!!!
Okay, let's start.... shall we?
The rules are: There are 18 chairs. One for each line in Article 1 Section 8. We start playing the music (Kate Smith's God Bless America). When it stops, each department head tries to sit down on the seat closest to the role of his department. Oh, what FUN!!!
Now, here is the REALLY fun part. All those department heads and agency heads still standing... go home.
Thanks for PLAYING!
Public sector unions are a crime against the taxpayer.
Practically speaking, you are right. There’s not way a self-perpetuating organization will cut itself in half. Even Reagan failed at stopping fedzilla from growing. A roll-back to the size of Clinton’s government would be a huge improvement, and you know how the libs adore him and his governance.
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