Career diplomats are unhappy with certain diplomatic appointees.
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" retired AFGE members Terri Blackburn and Bob Thompson join Local 1662 President Katie Rasdall to discuss the union's Defense Conference mentor program. Local 3377 President Kevin Tinker and Vice President Cynthia Jarvis address concerns at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. VA Local 2109 member John Mabane and Local 1988 steward Marcellus Shields highlight the union's Y.O.U.N.G. program
The White House's fiscal 2015 budget proposal released Tuesday aims to boost funding for federal-employee training, which has been hard hit by across-the-board sequestration cuts in recent years. The budget also proposes a 1 percent pay increase for federal employees and leaves untouched federal retirement programs.
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" EPA Council 238 Executive Vice President Denise Morrison and Local 704 President John O'Grady discuss the impact of staffing and budget cuts at EPA. AFGE VA Local 1988 Executive Vice President Geddes Scott, TSA Local 554 President Robert Williams and Department of Transportation Local 3313 EVP Robena Reid also appear.
More than 100 members of the House and a dozen outside groups have signed on to a letter to President Barack Obama from Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) requesting that the upcoming White House budget not include a proposal to alter the way retirees' cost-of-living adjustments are calculated. The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, the American Federation of Government Employees and the Military Officers Association of American have signed on in support of the letter.
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" attendees of the union's annual Legislative and Grassroots Mobilization Conference discuss critical issues facing federal employees. Guests include Washington, D.C., Mayor Vincent Gray, Reps. Tom Cole (Okla.) and Chris Van Hollen (Md.), and the Rev. Terry Melvin, president of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. AFGE Council of Prison Locals Western Regional Vice President Michael Meserve also appears.
After playing defense for much of last year the largest federal-employee union is ready to play offense. American Federation of Government Employees National President J. David Cox gave a fiery speech at the union's annual legislative and grassroots mobilization conference in Washington. Also addressing the AFGE crowd were lawmakers from both sides of the aisle.
After a turbulent 2013 that saw sequestration budget cuts and a two-week government shutdown, the largest federal-employee union is hoping to flex more political muscle this year. The American Federation of Government Employees says union membership is at its highest level in decades.
DoD opens its electronic medical records to VA claims processors for the first time. The goal is to shave days or weeks from the time it takes VA to decide disability claims for recently separated service members. But the launch of the system has had a few bugs.
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" attendees of Families USA's Health Action 2014 Conference discuss the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Guests include National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare President and CEO Max Richtman, Citizen Action of Wisconsin Executive Director Robert Kraig, author and former insurance executive Wendell Potter, The Daily Beast Contributing Editor Eleanor Clift and Young Invincibles Senior Policy Analyst Christina Postolowski.
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" Office of Personnel Management Local 32 President Charlretta McNeill discusses sequestration's role in Reduction-in-Force notices being sent to 356 OPM employees, and how the union has helped those workers. Families USA Executive Director Ron Pollack, campaign strategist Ethan Rome and Tennessee Justice Center attorney Gordon Bonnyman highlight the latest Affordable Care Act developments from Families USA's Health Action 2014 Conference.
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" former Rep. Patrick Murphy (Pa.) discusses his MSNBC program, "Taking the Hill with Patrick Murphy," to bring attention to veterans issues. AFGE Legislative and Political Director Beth Moten previews the union's Legislative and Grassroots Mobilization Conference Feb. 9 - 12 while Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul details the latest manufacturing jobs numbers. National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare's Web Phillips reacts to service reductions at SSA.
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" DoD Local 2077 President Jon Suminski details OSHA violations at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan while Witold Skwierczynski, president of AFGE's National Council of Social Security Administration Field Operations Locals, discusses service reductions and field office closures at SSA. Economic Policy Institute Research and Policy Director Josh Bivens also appears.
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" the program revisits several memorable interviews from 2013. Guests include MSNBC's Chris Hayes and professor Jeffrey Hilgert, author of "Hazard or Hardship: Crafting Global Norms on the Right to Refuse Unsafe Work." AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. and Department of Defense Local 1345 Steward Tracy School also appear from an August furlough protest at the union's Human Rights Training Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa.
AFGE's public policy director Jacqueline Simon explains why her organization is opposed to the self plus one plan, and Sean Reilly and Andy Medici from the Federal Times will discuss what's ahead for feds and retirees in 2014. December 18, 2013 (Encore presentations December 25, 2013 and January 1, 2014)