Congress and the Fiscal Year Tick Tock

From AFGE National News

 

There’s just a week left until the 2016 government funding runs out on Sept. 30. Members of Congress are racing against the clock to come up with a funding package to avoid a government shutdown.

Will they succeed? What does it mean to you as a federal employee? Here’s what we know:

A government shutdown is very unlikely before the elections.

Nobody wants a government shutdown. Congress is working to pass a short-term funding bill known as Continuing Resolution (CR), which would fund government agencies at the current funding levels through Dec. 9. After that, Congress will need to come up with another spending bill again to prevent a shutdown.

A short-term funding bill means no new resources.

A CR keeps the government running at the same level of funding regardless of new needs and workload. That means it will be difficult to get more funding for important medical research, for example, or to hire more people to screen air travelers or keep our skies safe.     

Your supposed 1.6% pay raise next year is not guaranteed.

President Obama requested a 1.6 percent pay raise in 2017 for both military personnel and civilian employees. If Congress does nothing, federal employees will likely get that amount. But whether Congress does nothing or not depends on who wins the election. Members of Congress have the final say on your pay. So your 1.6 percent raise is still up in the air.

Stay tuned for more information on the government funding tick tock. Visit www.afge.org for news and updates on other key issues important to federal employees.

Not a member yet? Join AFGE today and be a part of the movement that fights for your voice at work and fair compensation.

Honoring Our Everyday Heroes 15 Years After 9/11

From AFGE National News

 

It’s been 15 years since the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001, changed our world forever.

Nearly 3,000 lives were lost that day in the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, and in the fourth plane that crashed in a Pennsylvania field.

While we continue to mourn the dead, we honor and recognize the many brave Americans who stepped forward that day and in the years since to rescue the injured, vanquish the perpetrators, and prevent another attack on American soil.

Many of these everyday heroes are your union brothers and sisters. They are the TSA officers who keep terrorists and dangerous weapons off our planes. They are the Border Patrol and ICE agents who prevent the illegal trafficking of people and contraband into our country. They are the FEMA employees who help us prepare for any potential threats and are the first to respond if danger strikes. They are the Defense civilian employees who support our troops at war and the VA employees who support them after their service is done.

Because of these public servants and so many others, we as a nation are safer today than we were 15 years ago. So as we pay tribute to those who lost their lives on 9/11, let us also give thanks to those who have kept us safe since then.

In solidarity,

J. David Cox Sr.

Workforce Morale in the Cellar as Congress Continues to Target Feds

From AFGE National Website—8 October 2015

morale-ometerAFGE called on congress to cease mean-spirited cuts to federal workers’ pay and benefits today following the release of abysmally-low employee morale scores as part of the annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.

“Public servants continue to suffer under a Congress that seems determined to make it harder for them to serve the American People,” said AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr.

“The constant thread of another pay cut, retirement give-back , or government shutdown is like a weight on the shoulders of every federal employee in this country, and morale will continue to suffer until that weight is lifted.”

With the threat of another shutdown looming near the holiday season, Cox said that federal employees were putting big purchases and major life decisions on hold until Congress could guarantee that the government would continue to operate past the December 11 expiration of the current continuing resolution.

“It[‘s] barely been more than a week since we were on the brink of another government shutdown,” Cox said.

“Congress has made all of us—from federal employees to the people we serve—live in a era of constant uncertainty.”

Cox said he was proud that 90 percent of survey participants resolutely reported that they were committed to going the extra mile despite slashed budgets, limited resources, and a meager 1% pay increase after three years of pay freezes, but enough is enough.

“Federal employees have important work to do like protecting our borders, inspecting our food and providing services to our veterans. Congress needs to give them the tools to carry out the promises we’ve made to the American people,” he added.

Cox also encouraged agencies to meet AFGE members at the bargaining table if they wanted to see a real spike in federal employee engagement.

“The survey results show that agencies consistently rank higher when employees have a real voice at the workplace,” Cox said. “Yet several agencies continue to stonewall our efforts to update contracts to improve working conditions for their employees. When it comes to boosting employee engagement, there is no substitute for a good collective bargaining agreement.”