Unions
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The two employee unions say lawmakers shouldn't make up for sequestration cuts by forcing federal employees to contribute more to their retirement. House and Senate legislators are working on a small-scale budget deal that reportedly includes a provision to alter federal retirement benefits.
December 06, 2013 -
The Office of Federal Procurement Policy issued a memo to agencies setting the new benchmark for reimbursable costs at $952,308, up from $763,029 in 2011 for certain contractor employee salaries. The contractor cap has increased 55 percent over the last four years. OFPP blames Congress for not acting to change the formula for calculating the annual increases.
December 05, 2013 -
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" the union's members share their stories working on the front lines in the Department of Veterans Affairs. AFGE Local 903 Chief Steward Donald White and Local 1988 Executive Vice President Geddes Scott discuss fighting for equality for all employees and the personal connection caregivers feel toward patients in the VA. Rick Weidman, executive director for policy and government affairs at Vietnam Veterans of America, also appears to detail legislation designed to help veterans returning home from combat.
December 04, 2013 -
If Congress fails to act by the end of the year, a tax subsidy for commuters who use mass transit is set to drop from a maximum of $245 a month to $130. At the same time, fringe benefits for parking are set to rise to $250 a month starting in January. Two stand-alone measures in the House and Senate would restore parity between the parking and mass-transit subsidies
November 26, 2013 -
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" attendees of the union's recent National Veterans Affairs Council Convention discuss issues impacting veterans and workers at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Guests include Ohio State Senator Nina Turner, AFGE VA Local 1273 Vice President Travis Riggs and John Bradley, former senior staffer on the House and Senate Veterans Affairs committees.
November 20, 2013 -
Frustrations over federal pay, budget cuts and uncertain agency funding have weakened federal-employee satisfaction, according to the Office of Personnel Management's Federal Employee Viewpoint survey released Friday. For the second year in a row, overall employee satisfaction scores fell, dipping below 60 percent this year. Meanwhile, less than half of federal employees said they believe they have sufficient resources — such as material, staff and funding — to do their jobs effectively.
November 08, 2013 -
A coalition of more than two dozen federal-employee unions and advocacy groups is calling on budget negotiators to come up with a way to undo the across-the-board sequestration budget cuts that are poised to slash agency spending by billions more this year. But following three years of a pay freeze and the recent 16-day government shutdown, the groups are equally adamant that changes to federal employees' pay and benefits should be off the table.
November 08, 2013 -
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" National President J. David Cox Sr. proposes reforms at the Transportation Security Administration after last week's shooting at the Los Angeles International Airport. Rep. Donna Edwards (Md.) discusses upcoming budget battles on Capitol Hill, AFGE Federal Protective Service Local 918 President David Wright addresses training concerns with the FPS contractor workforce and DoD Local 2024 Chief Steward Donald Hands talks about ways to engage retired union members.
November 06, 2013 -
When House and Senate lawmakers kicked off formal budget negotiations this week for the first time since the government shutdown ended, both Republicans and Democrats said replacing sequestration, the blunt across-the-board budget cuts, with an alternative plan would be a top priority. The sticking point remains how to pay for it. Federal-employee unions and advocacy groups fear federal pay and benefits will once again be on the table.
October 31, 2013 -
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" National Border Patrol Council Vice President Shawn Moran opposes a Customs and Border Protection proposal that would mandate the use of cameras in vehicles and on Border Patrol agents. Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund Communications and Development Director Robyn Kehoe details FEEA's efforts to help federal employees furloughed due to sequestration and the government shutdown. AFGE TSA Local 556 President Don Thomas and DoD Local 2516 President Paul Ferris also appear.
October 31, 2013 -
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) introduced a bill that would open up the federal health program to all Americans, but one federal employee union has come out to oppose it and benefits experts question how much it would cost.
October 24, 2013 -
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" Rep. John Sarbanes (Md.) looks back on the government shutdown and praises federal employees' commitment to public service while former Clinton White House spokesman Bob Weiner discusses what's next as new budget deadlines approach. AFGE Department of Defense Local 2077 President Jon Suminski and Executive Vice President Darold Hubbard also appear.
October 23, 2013 -
A tally totaling the costs of the government shutdown on the Defense Department only includes lost work-hours from civilian furloughs, not additional government costs from interest payments, contract delays or other impacts from the shutdown. AFGE and NTEU are asking agencies to speed up back pay to federal workers.
October 18, 2013 -
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" Transportation Security Administration Local 1127 President George Stebbins and Department of Transportation Local 3313 VP Tyler Patterson discuss the union's future from AFGE's recent Leadership Conference. Working America North Carolina State Director Carolyn Smith and AFGE TSA Local 1127 member Jason Miller also appear from the recent North Carolina State AFL-CIO Convention.
October 16, 2013 -
A survey by the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) reveals that the the majority of federal employees are facing financial hardships due to the government shutdown.
October 16, 2013