THE FEDERAL DEFICIT EXPLAINED

 

We’re hearing a lot about the federal budget and the deficit, about spending and taxes. I wondered what our government would’ve looked like in 2011 if we had balanced the budget, only spending what we took in. Hello, my name is Carolyn Federoff. I’m a federal employee and a member of the American Federation of Government Employees. And this presentation shows you what our government would’ve looked like.

 

 

 

This chart is from the Congressional Budget Office. It’s full of information, but I want you to focus on the bottom left. In 2011, we spent $3.6 trillion, and took in $2.3 trillion. What would it take to cut $1.3 trillion, and only spend what we brought in?

 

 

AFGE, the Largest Federal Employee Union, and Social Security Administration Reach Agreement

After 27 months of negotiations, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) have reached an agreement for the terms of the new national contract. The contract is valid for four years.

“It’s been a long road but we fought hard and proudly won improvements in benefits and working conditions for the employees of the Social Security Administration,” said AFGE National President John Gage, who worked as a disability examiner for the Social Security Administration and was a seminal player in reaching the deal.

Negotiations between AFGE and SSA have been ongoing, two weeks every month, since December 2009. AFGE referred the bargaining to the Federal Service Impasses Panel in September 2011, in reaction to the lack of progress in national contract negotiations.

“We made improvements in eye care and travel benefits, strengthened employee rights in the workplace and allowed for the union to have broader ability to represent employees in meetings with SSA management,” said AFGE Lead Negotiator Witold Skwierczynski.  “I want to thank our negotiators, and the SSA negotiators, for the hard work, dedication and countless hours away from family it took to get to this point.”

To see the contract, go to http://www.mycontract2009.org/Contract_Final.php.

HUD Council Vice President Carolyn Federoff Explains the Federal Deficit

Watch AFGE HUD Council Vice President Carolyn Federoff’s presentation on the federal deficit which she gave during this year’s AFGE Legislative Conference.

LOCAL 1401 PRESIDENT OCTAVIA HALL ON PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK

In honor of Public Service Recognition Week, AFGE Local 1401 President Octavia Hall of Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Washington talked to Federal Times about what it means to be a federal employee. Check out the video below!

 

http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1

TELL THE WHITE HOUSE TO DROP USDA’S POULTRY PLAN

IMPORTANT: This information should not be downloaded using government equipment, read during duty time, or sent to others using government equipment, because it suggests action to be taken in support of and/or against legislation. Do not list your government email or government address in filling out this message, and do not use a government provided phone for this action.

AFGE and consumer groups deliver petitions to the USDA on April 26.

Last week, AFGE and other concerned consumer groups delivered 150,000 signatures to the U.S. Department of Agriculture protesting the agency’s proposal to dismantle the current poultry inspections process. Under the USDA’s plan, private poultry processing plants would be put in charge of regulating themselves, while a single federal inspector would have literally one second to review three chickens to make sure they are free of diseases, feathers, tumors, bile or other contaminants.

There is no way even the most highly trained federal inspector can perform an thorough inspection of chickens and turkeys under this plan. That’s why we’re asking the White House to intervene.

A new petition on the White House’s “We the People” website asks the USDA to withdraw this proposed rule. If we can get 25,000 signatures, the Obama administration has pledged to issue a personal response.

But time is of the essence. The deadline to issue official comments on the proposed rule is May 29, so we need to trigger the White House response before May 29.

Click here to go directly to the petition. It only takes a minute out of your day, and it can literally save your life.

AFGE Fights Back Against the War on Women

This may be a shock to you-but I am not a woman. Really-you don’t have to be one to love them! We are all here today because we can and must care about this war on women.

Here is my favorite anonymous quote:

“If you have come to help me-you are wasting your time. But, if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together”.

In state legislatures nationwide-The War on Women is active, it is medieval, and it’s growing.

I am here today to say:

If you understand there is no difference between a government that limits birth control and one that makes it mandatory- you must care about the War on Women.

If you have ever had a child depending on a public education-you must care about the War on Women.

If you have ever relied upon law enforcement for the protection of your home and family- you must care about the War on Women.

If you have ever believed our food and water supply must be safe for our health and the future of our family and country- you must care about the War on Women.

If you believe public fire protection is necessary for the safety of our neighborhoods, villages, and cities- you must care about the War on Women.

If you believe social security and Medicare are in the public interest for our parents, our grandparents, each of us, and our children- you must care about the War on Women.

If you believe our country is obligated to care for our returning soldiers, our wounded veterans, and the families of those fighting terrorism- you must care about the War on Women.

If you believe US Postal Workers are so dedicated their jobs-they were willing to give their lives during the Anthrax threat- you must care about the War on Women.

And if you can remember, just for a minute-the horrible morning of September 11… Americans rushing down emergency exits in those towers-while first responders-from working class families of the 99% were rushing up those same stairs in dedication to duty and country- you must care about the War on Women.

Here is why! This group of cavemen waging this war on women is under budgeting all of these things for our families, cities, and our country.

The Ryan budget –for example- demonstrates these Cavemen believe its ok to fire teachers, police officers, and fireman-but it’s not OK to ask millionaires and billionaires to pay equally. The cavemen continue to shout our government is too big. They think we don’t need food inspectors – that it’s ok to import unsafe toys for our children – and safe food and water is a socialist conspiracy!

Brothers and sisters. This war on women is a war one all of us-our families-our villages. They are trying to control the way we think. Because when the cavemen-the 1% and feudalist politicians control how workers and Middle America think-they need not worry about what WE DO!

The future of our village-our country-depends on our resolve here today.

This isn’t just a war on women-it is a war on self-determination. If the cavemen drive a fear of government- they leave the 1%-the wealthy-the cannibals and the pigs to protect the sheep.

I’m not here to convince you of these things. You wouldn’t be here if you did not understand this. I am here to convince you to take on our brother in– laws, our fathers, our spouses. THERE IS NO DEFENDING THE CAVEMAN-AND IT IS UP TO US TO DEFEND THE VILLAGE!

Here is my answer-

“You have made a criminal of my mother-

You have outlawed the love of my brother-

You are the enemy my country!

When all you say is – HATRED OF THE OTHER!”

Brothers and sisters-our liberation is bound together in this fight for our families, our villages, ourselves.

WE MUST FIGHT BACK TOGETHER!

– Gerald Swanke, National Vice-President, American Federation Government Employees

AFGE TELLS ROMNEY TO STOP UNFAIR ATTACK ON FEDERAL WORKERS

***This information should not be downloaded using government equipment, read during duty time or sent to others using government equipment. Do not circulate at the worksite.***

AFGE National President John Gage today fired off a letter to former Governor Mitt Romney, calling him to task for making disparaging remarks about federal workers.

After his latest round of primary victories on Tuesday, Governor Romney delivered what Fox News dubbed a “killer speech” in which he derided the “unfairness of government workers getting better pay and benefits than the taxpayers they serve.”

In a blistering response, President Gage called Romney’s comment “ridiculous and patently false” and went on to scold the governor for scapegoating federal employees “while corporate executives benefit from record profits and outrageous tax loopholes.”

So yes, Governor Romney, we do need to “stop the unfairness” – the unfairness of politicians spreading false claims as facts and tarnishing the image of government workers to score political points.

As President Gage points out, more than half of all federal employees earn less than $70,000 a year, and one-fourth earn less than $50,000. Federal employees have had their pay frozen for two consecutive years, have suffered from rising health care costs and have experienced the same challenges as other middle-class families during these difficult economic times.

Federal employees have worked diligently to serve the American people during these difficult times, despite the persistent prospect of government shutdowns and the loss of their jobs due to agency budget cuts.

UNION BLASTS 10% HIKE IN SALARIES FOR GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS

Taxpayer-funded salaries exceed $763K for top five contractors; salaries for others unlimited

WASHINGTON – The nation’s largest federal employee union today expressed profound disappointment over the Office of Management and Budget’s announcement of a 10 percent increase in the salaries that federal contractors can charge taxpayers.

The American Federation of Government Employees for years has been calling attention to runaway contractor payments. In a notice issued Monday in the Federal Register, OMB increased the maximum annual salary that government contractors can charge taxpayers for each of their five most highly paid executives from $693,951 in 2010 to $763,029 in 2011. Other non-Defense contractor employees are not subject to the cap and can earn far larger salaries that are subsidized by taxpayers.

The compensation cap has tripled since 1995 and will continue to grow unless the statutory formula used for determining the cap is revised.

“Current federal employees have had their own salaries frozen for two years and new employees will have to pay four times as much in retirement contributions, saving the government $75 billion. Yet nothing is being done to trim out-of-control contractor spending,” AFGE National President John Gage said. “Taxpayers should not be on the hook for these outrageous salaries that no one in government earns – not federal employees, not members of Congress and not even the President of the United States.”

In March, a bipartisan group of senators led by Senator Barbara Boxer of California introduced a bill that would cap the reimbursement rate at the president’s salary, currently $400,000, and apply it to all contractor employees. Lowering the cap would not limit how much these contractor employees can earn, only how much can be charged to the government.

A similar bill introduced in the House by Representative Paul Tonko would lower the cap to $200,000 and apply it to all contractors.

OMB itself noted that increase in the compensation cap “has far outpaced the rate of inflation, the rate of growth of private-sector salaries generally, and the rate of growth of Federal salaries – forcing our taxpayers to reimburse contractors for levels of executive compensation that cannot be justified for Federal contract work.”

Unfortunately, OMB has not endorsed extending the cap to all contractor employees, proposing instead to lower the cap to $200,000 for only the five most lavishly compensated employees at each government contractor.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING AVAILABLE FOR D.C. GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) District 14 and the Metropolitan Central Labor Council (CLC) joined forces with the Estate of Abe Pollin and Enterprise Homes, Inc. to offer AFGE and other union members who work for the District of Columbia first choice at affordable new homes at D.C.

The housing project, MetroTowns at Parkside in northeast DC, promises to incorporate luxury and convenience to its residents.  “We are pleased to partner with the Estate of Abe Pollin to offer this benefit to our members,” said AFGE National Vice President Dwight Bowman.  As many of you may remember, Abe Pollin (1923-2009) was the owner of a number of DC professional sports teams to include the NBA Bullets/Wizards, which he owned for 46 years.

Pricing for this new complex starts in the mid-$200,000.  Although sales have opened to the general public, special financing is still available to DC government employees.

If you have questions regarding this housing benefit, you may call 202-695-7232 or visit www.metrotownsdc.com.

 

Register Now: Atlantic City Regional Training on June 18-22, 2012

Register Now: Atlantic City Regional Training on June 18-22, 2012!

The regional training for District 2, 3, 4 and 14 (Region A) has been relocated to the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey on the week of June 18-22, 2012. The 2nd annual regional training conference includes a wide variety of courses for AFGE leaders and activists, such as:

· Hatch Act/Reduction-in-Force
· Financial Officer
· Collective Bargaining
· Representation
· New Leaders

The conference registration is $100 until June 1, 2012. On-site registration is $150.

Hotel rooms for AFGE members are available at a discounted rate of $85 per night not including taxes and fees. Reservations must be made on or before the cutoff date of May 19, 2012 to be eligible for the group rate.

See www.afge.org/regiona for complete conference and registration information.