As furloughs loom, unions try to soften sequester blow for federal workers

Wash Post ^ | 2/22/13 | Lisa Rein

[jimbo123]

Federal government labor unions and agency managers are bargaining over how and when to carry out first-of-their-kind furloughs of more than a million employees as deep spending cuts are all but certain to kick in Friday.

Union leaders cannot stop the furloughs or determine who in each agency must take them. They say their best option is to soften the pain of unpaid days, which could slash federal pay by up to 20 percent this fiscal year.

-snip-

This would be the first time that furloughs across the federal government would occur with no chance that lost pay would be recovered.

[jimbo123]

Still expecting Boner and McConnell to fold on this. One week to go...

[COBOL2Java]

Wow. I did a Google image search on "fold like a cheap suit" and this image was one of the first to pop up:

[timlilje]

I’ve worked in the private sector and in the government sector. During the last five years the private sector has endured what is equal or worse than the sequester and the government side has not. Time to “spread the wealth around” give everybody a “fair shot” a “fair chance” at success.

[yldstrk]

stall fed horses

[devolve]

GO AHEAD MAKE MY BRUNCH

[Lancey Howard]

This would be the first time that furloughs across the federal government would occur with no chance that lost pay would be recovered.

This is why I always laugh when there's a "government shutdown" and government employees are furloughed - - in the end, the government employees always get their "back pay". I cannot believe that the same thing won't happen again this time if indeed there are furloughs.

[jimbo123]

Of course Boner and McConnell will ultimately give the furloughed government workers their “back pay”. Government workers are a protected species in the eyes of the RATS and RINOS.

[stars & stripes forever]

They say their best option is to soften the pain of unpaid days

Their pain, our gain.

[NTHockey]

We started out the week with 700,000 people getting fired. By Wednesday, it was up to 800,000. Now it’s over a million. At this rate, we’ll have our smaller government by end of winter.

[Our man in washington]

I’m a Federal employee and there’s a good chance I will get furloughed. Losing the money would be tough. Still, if that’s the only way to reduce the deficit, so be it. I’m also a father and I don’t want to see this country turn into Greece. I’d rather they targeted the cuts at mostly worthless expenditures like the Department of Education and Housing and Urban Development, but an across-the-board cut is better than nothing.

One factor that hasn’t been mentioned in this discussion is demographic: the peak year of the baby boom was 1957 and the years surrounding that were high-birth years as well. Thus, you have a lot of Federal employees in that 55 to 57 year age range who would probably accept a buyout. Buy them out, don’t fill the positions, and you can save a lot of money right there.

[Drango]

"furloughs"

What's with this furlough talk? Lay them off. Downsize. What don't the unions and politicians understand?

[DakotaGator]

I’d rather they targeted the cuts at mostly worthless expenditures like the Department of Education and Housing and Urban Development, but an across-the-board cut is better than nothing.

Concur. The solution to this mess is simple; "Stop all unconstitutional spending." A top to bottom review of the Federal Code for Constitutional compliance, repealing all laws that do not pass, would also be in order.

Buy them out, don’t fill the positions, and you can save a lot of money right there.

Am sure this will also happen. Those furloughed should consider it the first step to their positions being eliminated. They should take it as a warning and plan accordingly.

[Fzob]

It is not good that it has come to furloughs, but that is the price one pays for gross mismanagement. Federal agencies could have easily reduced this pin through attrition and a host other cost saving options if they started years ago.

I last two companies I worked for had to use furloughs for the last four years to get through tough business periods. The feds should be no different. Especially since they are bloated beyond belief.

[McGavin999]

If our side had any brains at all they would be out there telling everyone who will listen that any manager of any federal department can’t figure out how to cut the waste without cutting serives will be replaced with one who can.

[OHPatriot]

I’m also a Federal Employee, specifically one of the 100,000+ engineers and scientists that directly support the warfighter on a daily basis. I agree there many useless departments within government that need eliminated. But after 3 years of pay freeze and now up to 22 days of furlough, EPA only will have to take 6 days, enough is enough. Cut all foreign aid, eliminate duplicate programs, cut waste and fraud that is rampant in social programs and one can easily come up with 200+ Million in cuts without impacting Federal Pay. But NOOO, our mental midget politicians would rather play class warfare instead of actually solving a problem. And as for being overpaid, keep in mind figures don’t lie but liars can figure, so be careful when making accusations based on information from unbiased think tanks.

[Sola Veritas]

“What’s with this furlough talk? Lay them off. Downsize. What don’t the unions and politicians understand?”

First of all....government and its employees are NOT a business - it is specious logic to attempt to use “business” practices for government. IF they exist, at least in “theory”, they do so because they have a function to accomplish (whether one agrees with it or not). Government employees are NOT in existence to create “profit” like a business.

Secondly, except for anarchists, most reasonable persons understand that some form of government (and thus employees) are required. It is really a matter of opinion as to what is necessary and what is not. I personnally don’t think DoD should be touched, at least not to the extent it is currently targeted, but that is my opinion. Those here and elsewhere that want to eliminate all federal employees are just being assinine and not worth listening to anymore.

Thirdly, the hiring and firing of federal employees is governed by LAW that cannot be conveinently ignored. There are processes that must be followed. IF they outright “eliminate” a person, then they are bound to follow Reduction in Force (RIF) procedures. It is a long drawn out process to do a RIF. By furloughing because of a funding shortfall, you avoid the RIF.

The wisest COA is to get agreement (like this will ever happen) as to what is necessary and what is not in government. Over time start cutting those areas and use attrition to downsize. When persons “leave” a position, don’t let it be refilled (have personnel “cross level”) until the appropriate number of employees are reached.

I see the same “class warfare” against government employees that we conservatives say liberals use against others. During “hard” times, a federal employee with a decent wage and secure job is HATED by those without. However, in “good” times the federal employee’s wages are not, in most cases, as good as their private sector counterparts (if that comparison is even valid). However, in “good” times nobody really complains about the federal worker.

Do we have a bloated government to include too many employees? Yes, this is self evident. It really is time to stop further growth and start reducing numbers. The key is to do so wisely and not vindictively. Sadly, massive cuts of government employees would quite literally turn some parts of the country into ghost towns. So, it has to be done wisely and carefully. It does HAVE to be done.

[2banana]

Union dues, of course, will not be pro-rated.

[silverleaf]

They are being told this time the pay will not be made up
It is a 20% pay cut

It will also be a 20% cut in services, mostly you will feel the effect in timeliness, such as getting a passport or dealing with a VA claim or social security etc
or getting a federal approval to begin or continue some state and local projects and programs

For the next 22 weeks or so, if you happen to need, on a Friday, any service staffed or supported by a federal agency - good luck. Lots of voicemail - maybe. Employees are being told not only will they not work, but that they CANNOT work on a furlough day.

As a former AO in DoD, I am sure Congress and the WH are going to patiently wait for responses to demands for immediate information

NOT

[OldGoatCPO]

That is ridiculous, you choose your path you live with it. The private sector has taken a beating because you rely on a profit margin. Fed employees provide a service. I will admit there is tons of waste, service often sucks. I provide specialized skills to the government, some come from my degree work others from years as a contractor, GS and service member in the DoD. Can a civilian be taught to do my job sure, but I am already trained with 34 years of experience and a graduate degree.
This spread the pain, fed employees are over paid etc is BS. I make less than I would in private sector but I like what I do. The inflated “average wages” for fed employees is misleading. I could have accepted a job in DC starting between $80 or $85k. Fed employees in major metro areas make far more in wages and that inflates the “average”. Another example are the intel types, some receive extremely high wages because they hold a highly sensitive clearance above Top Secret. A contractor or the Feds would have to pay out nearly $100k and two years to process that clearance for someone off the street. People coming out the military have those clearances. They are hard to get and hard to keep, hold a TS/SCI and have credit problems after a messy divorce, you can lose your clearance and your job. Again, there is plenty of waste, we are all replaceable, but we are not all over paid and need to share in the private sectors pain.

[norton]

EPA only gets 6 days??
On the other hand; I rant a lot about bureaucrats in DOD and the hopelessly obtuse and self serving policies and procedures they embody. Productive work such as I presume yours to be would not be endangered if the feds could squelch their administrative empire building.