Congress considers 3.3% pay raise for federal employees
Those same people who voted a scant few months ago to cut COLA increases for service members and military retirees are now considering a 3.3% pay raise for Federal employees who are not members of the uniformed services according to the Washington Post (who have blocked me because I used up my allocation of free articles this month so I found an alternate source)
American Federation of Government Employees National President J. David Cox Sr. today applauded legislation introduced by Reps. Gerry Connolly and Jim Moran of Virginia to provide federal employees with a 3.3 percent pay raise in 2015.
“Federal employees have seen their standard of living deteriorate in recent years due to a three-year pay freeze, unpaid furloughs, and higher retirement contributions for newer workers,” Cox said. “A 3.3 percent pay raise would help federal employees recoup some of that lost income and ensure the government is able to recruit and retain the high caliber workers that taxpayers expect.”
The Obama administration has proposed a 1 percent pay raise for federal employees in 2015, a pitiful increase in light of how much federal employees have sacrificed these past few years. Federal employee wages were frozen for three straight years. New federal employees are paying between four and six times as much for their retirement without getting anything in return. Roughly 750,000 federal employees lost up to a week of pay last year due to sequestration-related furloughs, costing them $1 billion in lost salary.
They vote to reduce pay raises for the troops, but raise what the president asks for in regards to Federal employees? Really? I guess the two Congressmen from Northern Virginia value their federal worker constituents more than their military constituents. But that inebriated sot, Moran is retiring this year, so I guess he’s feathering the bed for his replacement.
Category: Congress sucks
Appropriately labeled under “Congress Sucks”.
USMCE8Ret Yes I agree, +1.
Dfuq? What a load of horsepuckeys.
Meanwhile, this administration can’t spend enough, fast enough, in order to create another dependent class.
“Roughly 750,000 federal employees lost up to a week of pay last year due to sequestration-related furloughs, costing them $1 billion in lost salary.”
Federal friends tell me thats no true, that their pay was reinstated.
Fen: what your friends told you is not universally true. Most Federal employees subject to the sequestration furlough were not “made whole” and saw a substantial pay loss for the year. Only those who were rated “emergency essential” and who worked temporarily w/o pay (due to no authority to pay them during sequestration) were paid after-the-fact for that time.
Within DoD, if I recall correctly about 15% of civilian employees were exempted from sequestration furloughs. Those exempted were primarily first responders, those providing critical services and in-theater support, and selected additional functions. Most DoD civilians were prohibited from working 1 day per week for the duration of the furlough. They were not later paid for that lost work time.
What did happen across the board, at least within DoD, was that funding was found to shorten the furlough from 11 unpaid workdays to 6. I don’t have knowledge of what may have happened happened in other executive branch departments.
NASA civil servants were made whole.
–ghp
For *both* furloughs.
–ghp
DHS “non-essential” employees got a free 3 week vacation last year. Those of us determined to be “essential” got to work and do the “non-essentials” work also. Upon return, non essentials were paid for their time off.
The phony ‘government shutdown’ one was paid after the fact. The ‘let’s bone the DoD civs’ furlough was not–though it was cut shorter than the planned length.
Looks like I’m a bit slow on the trigger.
well they forgot to re-instate mine!!!
One furlough was….one furlough was not. I do disagree with the pay increase though and I am a federal worker.
I heard that the federal employees were interviewed by Vice Admiral Moran and they told him if they received some training and got some new desks they wouldn’t want a pay raise and would be happy with losing some benefits as well…these federal workers said if the military doesn’t mind a pay cut neither do we….that’s what I heard anyway…from a guy who knows a guy…
As a former soldier and a current DA civilian, I find it deplorable to screw the troops once again while sucking up to the AFGE. I know how much a soldier makes. Therefore, I’d be more than happy to forgo a pay raise so the troops can get what they deserve. The troops get screwed all the damn time and get paid shit for it. Honestly, how hard do civilians really get screwed? Not that hard.
I won’t say what I’m thinking, because it would get me a visit from those government workers that are up for a pay raise in 2015.
I would like to say that I don’t really have a dog in this fight from a personal standpoint. I’m not a fed worker. I’m not active duty military. I’m not retired military, but I am a disabled Vet. I don’t think the sequester was handled well, because it was all political theater at the whims of the President and his staff. It was designed to do exactly what it did. I will leave it at that for now.
OH, those POOOOR bureaucrats. Us Vets? Of course, we’re bottom feeding lowlives to this administration, we’ve proven ourselves and earned what we’ve got, and thus we make slackers and the lazy feel inadequate, thus we get spat on!!
I would gladly take 0 percent increase if Congress passed and 2/3 of the States agreed to a DEBT Elimination and Balanced Budget Admendment to our Constitution. Then again, monkeys could just start flying out of my ass at any moment now too!
Well, gee whiz, golly gee – give the sandcrabs a raise that is nearly double what Social Security and VADC got? Why, that is SO damn generous, I could just cry!!
So when is my SocSec raise by 3.3% going to happen? Oh! Sorry – I forgot. Wrong question.
It’s been my experience that the harder a federal employee works, the less they get paid. And of course this 3% raise will mean the most to the fat, lame, and lazy sacks of shit who occupy the high-paying slots (*COUGH* Lois Lerner!), because 3% of $350 grand is rather substantial. Meanwhile, those who actually work for a living like US Forest Service firefighters such as my sister, who are already at the bottom of the Federal salary totem pole will barely notice, because 3% of dog shit is…
It’s all good. We just borrow a little more from the Peoples Republic of China. Whats a few more billion added to our grand kids debt if it buys the federal workers loyalty for one more election cycle?
I’m a 20yr, 4month and 18 day retiree. I have been a DAC for 11 yrs. We called it furlough Friday here at Ft. Sam. I work for IMCOM, and hope the furlough happens again. It shows our CG that he can’t function without us.
I work (non-government) in DC. Based upon the traffic I am stuck in during my commute, the BMWs driven by goverment employees are starting to show some wear. A pay raise couldn’t come at a better time.
As a federal employee, I’d take a 3.3% paycut if they give it to the military but we all know that ain’t gonna happen.
Shoooot… I’ll take it! That’s about a 2k raise for me! lol
However, I’d rather split it with the troops. I did my time and know how bad it could get. I’m living good now so let’s spread the wealth.
I work for the VA… Know what the biggest problem with the VA is? The union. You can’t get anything done and can’t get rid of anyone who sucks at their job once they’ve worked for the VA for a while. Do you know who suffers? The Veterans. I’ve seen both sides.
Not sure what side of the VA you work for, but I am with you on the Union being a major source of the problems. However, managment is not all that much better and a large majority of the “non professional staff” around the VAMC I work at are apparently all the former shammers and scammers I hated while on active duty. “It’s not my job” mentality, and the cliques developed from all the years of nepotism in the hiring process.
Not even touching on the lack of leadership at the very top.
So true. The union is only half of it. I work VHA in a clinical setting (mental health). There is a guy I work with who does NOTHING. Litterally. He sits on his ass all day running his personal website, printing out personal shiz from his website, wears shirts with his belly hanging out and leaves PII out all over the place. Many peeps have tried to get rid of him but it isn’t worth the hassel to get rid of him because he has been with the VA for 35+ years and the union won’t have it. It is frustrating. Unfortunately, many of those who no longer care used to be good workers until they realized that actually doing your job brings negative attention from those who aren’t. I came into this job motivated as hell and at times I have to keep myself focussed because you get nothing for doing a good job. The environment breeds mediocrity. It’s sad, really.
Im so tired of hearing that feds cant be fired because they have been here x number of years…that is total BS! If you have an employee who is not working or doing things against regulations all you have to do is document it. the supervisor Informs the employee with representaion if he or she wants it. ENFORCE THE RULES!!! when they do it again another write up, after 3 contact HR and higher management…..get your ducks in a row and fire them, ive seen it happen, you just need a decent supervisor who isnt scared of someone who has been there for 40 years.