J. David Cox
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The House and Senate have appointed members to a conference committee on legislation to revamp the Veterans Affairs health care system. Regardless of how Congress ends up changing the structure to address long wait times for patients, the system will need more money for emergencies. That is one request from the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents many front-line VA employees. J. David Cox is the union's president and a former VA nurse. He joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss how the problems at the VA are affecting the front-line employees.
June 23, 2014 -
During the final edition of Inside Government on Federal News Radio, your host Ward Morrow speaks with Chris Garlock of the DC Labor Film Fest and discusses issues at the Bureau of Prisons with Eric Young, the AFGE Council of Prisons Locals. Inside Government also looks back through AFGE history with the union's Chief of Staff, Brian DeWyngaert, and discusses what's next with AFGE National President J. David Cox, Sr.
June 19, 2014 -
Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) introduced the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act Friday, calling for a 3.3 percent pay increase for federal employees for calendar year 2015. Federal employee union leaders praised the proposal, which would raise feds' pay more than the 1 percent President Barack Obama introduced in his 2015 budget proposal. The bill is similar to one introduced in March by House Democrats.
May 23, 2014 -
Despite the challenges they face, federal employees come to work every day and strive to do their best because they are dedicated to their jobs. What will it take for Congress to start treating them with the respect they deserve, asks AFGE President J. David Cox in a column written for Federal News Radio's special report, Trust Redefined: Reconnecting Government and Its Employees.
May 22, 2014 -
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Federal Programs and the Federal Workforce, hosted a hearing Tuesday to discuss the low morale of federal employees and explore possible solutions for agencies seeking to improve it.
May 07, 2014 -
This week on AFGE's Inside Government, Frank Clemente, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness discusses the realities of tax reform; Bill Press of the Bill Press Show talks about the Affordable Care Act and its impact on the midterm elections, Union Radio and sequestration; Katherine McFate, president and CEO of the Center for Effective Government examines the impact of current federal funding levels; and, AFGE National President J. David Cox explains why AFGE is advocating for a 4 percent pay increase for government employees.
April 15, 2014 -
On the Federal Drive show blog, you can listen to our interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day, as well as links to other stories and resources we discuss.
March 07, 2014 -
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.
February 19, 2014 -
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.
February 11, 2014 -
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.
February 07, 2014 -
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.
December 26, 2013 -
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" National President J. David Cox Sr. previews the union's 2014 agenda and Council of Prison Locals President Eric Young discusses the work environment inside the Federal Bureau of Prisons. AFGE Local 2778 Vice President John Adams addresses contracting out concerns at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
December 18, 2013 -
The gap in pay between federal employees and private-sector workers widened slightly this year, according to data presented at the annual meeting of the Federal Salary Council. On average, federal employees earn 35.37 percent less than their private-sector counterpart, according to data from the Office of Personnel Management and the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
December 17, 2013 -
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