Office of Personnel Management Director Jeff Pon wrote a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan late last week requesting a number of legislative changes that would cut retirement benefits for federal workers.
The request, which Pon said would save taxpayers $143.5 billion over the next decade, comes on the eve of the White House’s planned introduction of $15 billion in spending cuts as part of a rescission package. Pon said his plans, which are a laundry list of previously proposed cuts to federal employee retirement programs, would “bring federal benefits more in line with the private sector.”
Pon wrote that the proposed changes reflect the move by private sector businesses away from defined-benefit pensions in recent years.
Largest Federal Union Assails Trump Administration’s Latest Attack on Working People
Hiding wage and retirement cuts in defense bill is politics at its worst
WASHINGTON – American Federation of Government Employees National President J. David Cox Sr. issued the following statement in response to new legislative proposals that the Office of Personnel Management has submitted to Congress:
“President Trump’s war on working people knows no limits. As Wall Street shareholders are reporting record profits and the wealthiest 1 percent are basking in their massive tax cuts, President Trump believes the career employees who keep the government running deserve another cut, this time to their retirement.
“Federal offices across the country are struggling to recruit and retain workers because federal wages and benefits are falling further behind the private sector. Yet the Trump administration wants to freeze employees’ wages next year and now is proposing to take away the retirement benefits they’ve worked a lifetime to earn.
“Legislative proposals submitted to Congress by Office of Personnel Management Director Jeff Pon would cut $143.5 billion in wages and benefits from current and retired workers over the next 10 years. That’s on top of the $246 billion in cuts to wages and benefits that have been made this decade, including next year’s proposed pay freeze.
“These proposed cuts come at a time when federal employees lag further and further behind their private-sector counterparts in comparative compensation. Federal employees today bring home 5 percent less than they did at the start of the decade, when adjusted for inflation, and they earn roughly one-third less than they would make doing comparable work in the private sector.
“The Trump administration wants to force current federal workers to pay substantially more into their retirement accounts while cutting the size of those benefits for current and future retirees. Plus, the administration would eliminate retirement payments that go to law enforcement officers and other workers who retire before Social Security kicks in.
“While the proposals themselves are bad enough, so is the way the administration is trying to ram them through Congress. The administration wants these proposals attached to the Department of Defense’s fiscal 2019 authorization bill, even though these changes would affect all current and retired federal employees. This is an insidious attempt to trick the American public and polarize members of Congress who support federal workers.
“These shameful proposals must be rejected outright. The women and men who keep our government running every day should be able to earn a decent living while they’re working and be able to retire with the benefits they earned and were promised.”
From OPM:
I have enclosed legislative proposals for consideration of the Congress. OPM is responsible for administering the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) under chapters 83 and 84 of title 5, United States Code, respectively. These programs serve nearly 2.6 million Federal retirees and survivors who receive monthly annuity payments. These legislative proposals would amend chapters 83 and 84 oftitle 5, United States Code, to bring Federal benefits more in line with the private sector
When the Republicons chief strategist, Karl Rove, made comments about the Republicons depending on the least educated and stupid voters to stay in power, that was really all you needed to hear. The postal service is just a political football. Going after unions in general and postal workers by changing the retirement system in the middle of retirement for thousands will not sit well with most decent Americans. This is a losing hand for the President but if he wants to be known as the AMAZON BUSTER and punish the postal service for not going along with his personal vendetta against Little Jeff and AMAZON, then so be it. Experienced and seasoned veterans in Washington like Speaker Ryan and OPM Director Pon both realize this is not a way to run a country.
c’mon people. This proposal will never ,in a million years, pass in it’s current form . Would need a super majority in the senate( 60/40 ) for that to happen. And in the extremely unlikely event that a bill like this does pass, there will be 2 dozen amendments to it protecting current workers.
Susie Wong I am very glad You have a great amount of money. And you don’t need welfare. since your sooo rich why do you keep working? Why not become a businesswoman and collect Wealthfare like all business leaders? Why should a business person pay for an expense when the tax payer can pay? It’s would be nice to be able to work with such a carring person like you! You have got yours, the hell with others. One of these days it will be your turn, and nobody will care!
Let me just say that I currently make 60K a year now. At age 56 with 30 years in I can retired and get the supplement of $14,196 a year. This is a lot less than 60K a year. If you take the supplement away then I will have to work until 62 or even older making 60K plus a year. This does not sound like savings to me.
Every one please go on the narfe website and sighn the petition also start calling up your congressman otherwise we will not have anything left. This is serious.
turn the postal circus into a 3 slice pizza…….cut it up UPS, FDX, AMZN. letters are gone….its all about the packages-stupid! the alinsky pc govt diversity socialist utopia experiment is a total failure……time to go full monty on capitalist tool! hiring GED’s to run a company is insane in 2018!
with 2000 shares of AMZN I do not need your government welfare. what did you spend your income on?
Susie, show me the money….I think you don’t have $5
Hello and good-day, People -quit believing in any party(dem or repub) – it doesn’t matter, they are both the same! They are only out to benefit themselves-they don’t give a shit about you or me-Period! Well, I contacted so and so-what did you get? A letter that they would look into some matter that has your ass uptight with! Guess what-that’s as far as it went! They are all crooks, if they weren’t when they went into the office – they will be after they leave! Maybe, there are a very few exceptions below 1% at best were there to do what was right-but they see the fallacy of their ways and they move on-because it’s futile! If this message is not right for you-then keep drinking the cool-aid and or keep your head in the sand and keep cheering for that political figure who you will never know and all will be right in your world-we see who will be the fools. Good-day
Keep whining, Liberal. Anything is better than Odumba or Hillary
I voted for President Trump. He is far better than the Goofball before him. You crybaby Liberals crack me up. Praising Odumba every chance you get. Nobel Prize? Haha! Odumba did nothing for the PO. He was the worst president of all time. MAGA! Yeah baby! 😃😃
I know two carriers that voted for our leader. I just hope that they are happy that they won’t receive the S. S. supplements, will pay more for retirement contributions rate, and eliminate the COLAs for FERS employees. They shouldn’t mind, for they asked for it. I know they won’t care since the rich received big tax cuts. If, however they are upset, tough. They knew what they were getting into!
Well MR. Bernie is a commie? Anytime someone stands up to the RATPUBLICANS they are Commies, Reds, and Bolshevikis . You hate the welfare state? Most likely you send your children to schools that the tax payer pays for. You would never pay out of your own funds to educate, entertain, and transport your children to school. It’s better to compromise your beliefs and depend on the commie tax payer. And Since your hate government why do you work for a Federal government agency? Shouldn’t you work for Slavemart or a coal mine ? I notice the great state of Louisiana is by one July going to kick out of nursing homes over 37, 000 Medicaid residents. Looks like the families will be forced to sell their guns and swamp land!
Glad someone is finally recognizing that Federal and Postal workers are way over paid for what they do. Cut the bloated retirement and make them keep working till they die. Plenty of cheap immigrant slave labor to replace them.
We’re not overpaid. You’re just underpaid. Sucks to be you.
Idiot.
Write to your congress now before it’s ttoo late
Hello and good-day, Johnny come early is correct: neither party is for anyone but themselves! Do your own due diligence and look up birth certificate bond and redemption of your strawman! Become a Secure Party Creditor, also file your UCC-1’s in your state(you were born in) and take back your real rights-you are the bank-that’s why they(the corp’s) have to have your signature on everything because you create the money! I always tell people to do their own research and not to believe me until they see it for themselves! Wake-up and quit believing these lying bastards-they could give a shit less about you or me or for anybody for that matter. Good-day
the Washington, DC Uni-Party has you in their sights-run baby run. where is Bernie the Commie when you need him? oh yeah its May, he is gone to new 2 million dollar private lake house he got for taking a dive for the Hildebeast, oh well maybe he will invite us up for a summer vacation!
another story today about undelivered mail left in a van in MA……..don’t worry about Trump, worry about this termite infested agency. po mismanaging bureaucrats have destroyed your job. just give me a buyout and I am gone in a new york minute. time to get out is now…..it is beyond repair. the era of pushing around 3rd class dead tree material is over. losing Billions each year is not a way to start your day.
This will get you a lot of OUR votes in the mid term elections Donald. We will remember it.
Damn! Seriously, does anybody really believe that either party makes a difference? They all screw the little people. Washington is a joke. The people in charge are out for themselves. They don’t run to serve, they run to the trough to get rich and screw whoever gets in their way. Somebody has to suffer and it’s not going to be the power hungry bastards. Screw the Republicans and the Democrats because either way, it’s you that will be bending over. I don’t belong to any party and it’s just plain dumb to vote that way. Outlaw all parties. Make these ” servants of the people” actually vote for what they ran on and believe in and not what a damn party tells them to do.
high property tax State? why did you not just say high tax and spend Democrat hellhole……..so move, just leave your liberal crap there! President Trump did not make your home a high property State…..DemonKKKats did!
You are absolutely correct. Both parties in Washington are corrupt and I believe more and more people are waking up to the fact of our 2 party charade. I’m no big fan of Trump, but he’s definitely been shinning a light on the cesspool in DC.
While trump is supposedly cleaning the swamp for the republicans and his supporters, our retirement looks dimmer and dimmer. These tax cuts will kill my family we live in a high property tax state, high cost of living. I have Fers which means social security will kick in when I’m 66? So I’m looking at both of these to rely on and they’re dissapearing with the blessings of all the postal workers who voted for trump. What will the government do with us then? They don’t care if we can’t make ends meet. We will be in a poor state. Thank you trump voters.
Yeah but Don will give you 10% off at any of his empty hotels.
Ok, well I was going to go at 60 and take the FERS SocSec supplement, about 800 bucks a month, or $24K until age 62, but if you do away with it, I’m going to stay til I’m 70, and it’s going to cost you more than a measly $24K. A LOT MORE, to keep my non-productive elderly ass around! Enjoy!
Bill Clinton abolished the Glass-Stegal Act and Democrats caused the housing meltdown by giving people with substandard credit home mortgages thru Fannie May/FreddyMac -run into the ground by Barney Frank et al……..don’t confuse yourself with the facts.FDR & LBJ created the walfare state that has gone out of control.your hero bath house barry added more national debt than all the presients before him-put together. keep on keeping on with your wet dream.
To ” Buy UPS”, The Presidency was held by Republicans , bought by the Rockefellers , Fords , Morgans , etc from 1921 until FDR was sworn in ,
March 1933 . The GOP was in control for many years , with the one percent that still own them , before the crash of 1929 and the Great Depression . These Presidents were Warren Harding , Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover . Many non- partisan economic groups , including the Congressional Budget Office or CBO , have documented that two thirds plus of our deficits came from two wars on the credit card and two Bush tax cuts that went mostly to the richest Americans . This , along with further financial deregulation and mortgage fraud gave us the recession in December 2007 and the Wall St crash of Sept 2008 and the Great Recession , all under George W. Bush . And yes , some neo- liberal Dems voted for this stuff . It is not that hard to look at the revenue each year and the tax receipts to figure the deficit , or figure what the Bush tax cuts cost in revenue after he left office .
“You are entitled to your own opinion , but not your own facts .”
If you voted for him, this is on you. We tried to warn you, you just refuse to listen to logic.
Mr. UPS stock you want the buy out so you can leave the destroyed postal Service. What about the employees that can’t retire yet? Oh I for people like you only care about themselves. You are the only one that matters. Everyone else can fend for themselves. Soon it will be your turn and nobody will care what happens to you! Time wounds all heels. Why is it that working conditions and pay are regressing, going back in time? My father was an RPO clerk while President Eisenhower was in office. He was kind enough to veto six pay bills. Many years the Federal employees made very little . My father make big bucks back then, .86 cents per hour. He was on the rails many days trying to make up for the massive .86cents. Maybe it’s time for federal employees to pay the tax payer for the privilege of working for the public. The workers that voted for the RATPUBLICANS asked for what ever happens to them. Senator Huey Long once said ” Never underestimate the stupidity of people”
Mr Trump is only doing what Mr Devos wants. Didn’t you see he’s threat of cutting
all kinds of money from the government. As long as people are bought by the rich
common people will lose.
So I am top step Mailhandler making $58772 a year and now only pay .8% or $18.08 a paycheck that is $470.08 a year. If this passes and we have to pay 7.25% on MH top pay of $58772 that is $4,261 a year or $163.88 a paycheck. That a $145.8 more a paycheck or $3,790.80 more a year then I am paying now 😡 Hopefully we will get grandfather in and only new employees hired after 2018 ? Will get this 👍🏼.
Carrier Chuck…when it comes to retirement benefits postal employees are treated exactly the same as other federal workers.
We were Grandfather in last time they made cuts in 2012. Only new employees after 2012 have to pay 4.4% . So probably same will happen and everyone can keep there only .8 contribute to there pension until they retire .
IF this proposal passes there will be no grandfathering in. Also the $4000 per year increase you are worried about is significantly less than the decrease in retirement benefits under this proposal. High 5 calculation and no colas would quickly add up to more than $4000 less per year I retirement benefits.
Postal employees shouldn’t panic just yet. We aren’t treated the same as other Fed employee’s. Nothing but smoke and mirrors again
I think you’re full of crap and don’t own any of those stocks.
You’re the most psycho of the recent posts here. Alternative facts seem to predict your universe. And then you buy into it. I don’t know where or even if you ever worked for the fed, but you’re dead wrong.
When it comes to retirement benefits postal employees are treated the same as other federal employees.
oh boo hoo hoo Democraps ran up a 20 Trillion Dollar Federal Government Deficit……..what did you brain surgeons think was going to happen……kick the can down the road until me, me, wonderful me is out of the picture? you think this is bad….try a depression like 1929 when the demoncat ponzi scheme comes crashing down-they make Madoff look like an altar boy………don’t worry, Pelosi, Feinstein, Schumer et al are all worth millions so you can go to bed without any worry………..its always the other evil 1% with you dolts. Average PO MDO as one example with the following credentials- being a high school dropout, GED, or a 3rd track high school diploma making 100K a year to decrease delivery standards and delay mail and give themselves a 10% PFP scam bonus……………turn out the lights, the party is over! 110,000 PO Mismanaging Bureaucrats………you could cut 90% and there would still be to many.( private sector would never hire these dummies) President Trump is right. let APWU get a buyout so we can get out of this dump while the getting is good! hope you went long on ups/fdx/amzn.
This being said by the retard making 9 dollars an hour working in some crummy warehouse
I agree, many at the PO I worked actually voted for and liked the guy. I never did. We all know Trump retaliates and seeks vengeance for those he thinks are disloyal, whether it be groups or individuals, he seeks them out. Trump also knows Postal unions are predominantly Democrats. Need I say more? At least this time he cant blame Obama or the Democrats for the FERS retirement system, it was Reagan who signed that into law. As far as all these proposed cuts, I think they will fight very hard to get them into law, gotta take from someone and the poor dont have much left to take. My opinion is they want to keep everyone poor, there’s more control over us and less options for ourselves. Truly unbelievable administration. To my fellow employees, “How do you like him now” ?
Hello and good-day- How do these people function on thinking like this? Do they wake-up in the morning eating a box of stupid pill for breakfast? These people have no clue on what the hell they are proposing- “Here let’s shove this shit down their throats and see how they like it. Let me tell you something people – these people who are trying to do this have no concept nor do they have any agenda except to meddle in the long tenured employee’s business of doing only one thing: STEALING THEIR LONG LIFE CONTRIBUTION TO THE GOVERNMENT AND MAKING UP BULLSHIT FAIRY TALES THAT WE WILL SAVE MONEY BY DOING THIS! HELL , GO TO WASHINGTON AND THE POST OFFICE WENT ON A BUYING SPREE AND BOUGHT ALL THE SUBMARINES WITH SCREEN DOORS ON THEM BECAUSE THEY SAID IT WOULD SAVE THEM MONEY! PUT THAT WORD SAVE UP THERE AND THEY WILL SPEND MILLIONS SAVING HUNDRES OF DOLLLARS. Where do people get off on listening to these expert/dummies that don’t know shit! Apparently, they will have a different retirement system because they won’t be screwing with it-but remember(the savings) BULLSHIT! LIE, AND LIE SOME MORE TO GET WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY WANT DONE – TO SCREW THE PEOPLE THAT GAVE THEIR LIVES TO THIS PISS POOR ORGANIZATION THAT LISTENS TO IDIOTS THAT BRING THIS SHIT TO THE TABLE. GOOD-DAY
Welcome to any RATPUBLICAN voter! You ….. yourselves. You have shown how intelligent you are. You hate Mexicans, unions , Muslims, the environment, and turns out, you hate yourself. You are going to work longer for less, while the rich bastards are going to make more! Don’t get mad at yourself, you asked for it! Just like the coal miners that are going to vote for Don Blankenship in W. V. The coal mine he owned had an explosion and twenty nine miners died. Mr. Blankenship spent a year in Federal prison for what he did. Doesn’t matter, many miners plan to vote for him. They want him for the US Senate. Looks like they don’t have any self respect!
Why would you assume that just because a person voted for Trump that they are racist? You DO know that President Trump was NEVER accused of racism until after he announced he was running for president.
The term racist is tossed around so much these days that it really doesn’t mean much any more. I was accused of being racist because I disagreed with one of Obama’s policies. It was merely a philosophical difference. It had nothing to do with race. But, if you can’t argue your point lucidly and logically, it’s easier just to call the person a racist and try to shut down the discussion.
Yup!!
We can hope this doesn’t happen, but while those people stupid enough to vote Republican deserve what they get at the hands of their wonderful party and politicians, the smart people of the country certainly don’t.
Stupid voters are never blamed for contributing to their own life problems when it comes to wages, benefits, insurance or anything that affects their families.
Republicans, from Trump on down, and the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity, FOX News and other GOP shills consider those who support them a bunch of gullible ignoramuses. It’s true. Karl Rove infamously stated that the Republicans, and I paraphrase, depend on the least educated and stupid voters to stay in power. He further claimed correctly, I might add, that those who are a little or a lot smarter unless they’re ultra rich always vote Democrat.
But nobody in the media has the balls to put a lot of the responsibility of the terrible things going on in this country, from mass murders and pro-assault rifle morons, hypocritical judgmental and freedom abhoring Christian cult lunatics, ultra racism and hate mongers who allow the Republicans and church leaders continually insult what intelligence they might have and brainwash them with propaganda and phony patriotism that only makes the division between the people of this country worse on these types of voters.
Anybody who doesn’t want their future benefits and pensions taken away ought to have enough sense to get with the program and kick the GOP out of every elected office in the land. But they won’t. To them, having an assault rifle, trying to make racism popular, which it is with the worst of people, and hiding behind their version of “God” is more important than being able to feed their families, take care of them when they’re sick or injured, and be able to pay their bills. Being in terrible debt doesn’t bother them.
Democrats must rally like never before. We will never see Republicans, the officials and lawmakers, or their voters ever cooperate or reason even on their own behalf. So any energy wasted trying to reach them is much better expended on getting out the vote with those who recognize and understand what the GOP and Donald Trump are doing to this country. If you’re an unrepentant Trump lover, you are guilty of enabling whatever terrible shit happens to you courtesy of the current members of Congress, the Senate and Trump. You are hurting all of us whether you want to believe it or not.
There you go, all you idiots who voted for Trump and the Republicans. Still glad you did? Or are you still so blinded by your racism and xenophobia that you’re OK with these draconian cuts to our benefits that help pay for the millionaires’ and corporations’ massive tax cuts?
any postal who voted for the donhole,GETS WHAT THEY DESERVE
A few in my office did!
And we can’t laugh at them when they get screwed because WE who hate Trump and the Republicans, and know what they’re doing to us will get screwed right along with the morons who love him. Look at any sample of Trump/GOP lovers’ posts, here and elsewhere – full of spelling and punctuation errors, incapable to write complete sentences, and quote absolute propaganda bullshit they clearly do not understand but spew it anyway. How some of these people can be so sure of themselves is amazing. Republicans and Trump are out to destroy us, wipe out the middle class, steal our retirements and benefits, and millions of gullible people refuse to see it. We simply have to outvote them because their only arguments are of the childish insulting type. They are victimizing the rest of us too by refusing to admit they’re being duped while their beloved GOP and its shills laugh at them and consider the very people who support them gullible imbeciles.
I agree with you. I had 6 people block me on Facebook because I said things about Trump they didn’t like. They will all get screwed by these changes. I say bring it on maybe Don the Con will reimburse them hahahahahahaha