Next week, President Obama plans to unveil his Fiscal Year 2014 Budget. It has been reported that the plan will include $35 billion in reductions through “reforms to federal retirement programs.”
The Washington Post is reporting that the President will propose to increase employee contributions towards retirement. A recent White House proposal suggested raising the retirement contribution by 1.2% over a 3-year period. In addition, it is reported that, as part of a “grand bargain” with the GOP, the White House budget will propose a less generous consumer price index formula for calculating cost-of-living-adjustments (i.e., the chained-CPI) for federal programs, including Social Security. Finally, recent budget documents have also included savings attributable to Postal reform, which may include reducing mail delivery frequency. We will have a better idea about the specifics early next week, so stay posted.
Both Houses of Congress have already passed their versions of the FY 2014 Budget. On March 21, the House of Representatives passed House Concurrent Resolution 25 by a 221-207 vote, and, on March 23, the Senate passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 8 by a slim 50-49 majority. The House budget includes 10-year savings totaling approximately $132 billion in cuts directed at the federal workforce, including retirement and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). However, the Senate budget does not include such cuts.
It is important to note that White House budgets are typically dead on arrival on Capitol Hill, and that the House and Senate must reconcile their respective budget resolutions. Even so, the budget proposals are merely blueprints and do not have the force of law. Separate legislation must be passed and signed by the President to enact any changes to federal employee and retiree benefit programs, or to modify the COLA calculation.
source: NAPUS
I might add that the APWU should pay a very heavy price for endorsing this cocksucker in chief. A mass exodus of members sounds appropriate.
The notion that this guy was going to do something to our benefit is like giving ones self over to the predation of a thief in the hopes that he won’t steal you blind…absolutely insane. The only consolation I have is that those that voted for this POS are going to get screwed right along with those of us who knew better.
nevermind said…”obama has appointed republicans to several open seats on the postal board of governors in this very critical time. why in the world would he do that?”
Because there is not enough of a difference between the two parties in the first place to justify voting for democrats in total on the pretense that the “republican wing of the democrat party” is going to do something that we(USPS employees) object to. The union threw their support behind this guy and ordered all their zombie union presidents at the local level to support this guy…now we have to live with it.
Scott…the GOP doesn’t like PUBLIC SECTOR UNIONS, they don’t have a problem with private sector unions so let’s get that straight.
Ask your self this…who is looking out for the taxpayer(non-unionized) in a contract negotiation where the union(government employees) are one side of the table and government employees(Management)are on the other side of the table and their fates are intertwined by the outcome?
fj said…”Meanwhile i pay 500/year just to watch union reps sit on their butts in the breakroom, collect a modest boost on their paycheck for nothing, and get the best parking spots. When i ask what i’m paying for they give me the “be glad you have a job” routine. Seems to me i can have a job w/o paying if i just keep my nose clean.”
BINGO!…that is the only sure fire way of recouping the “pay cut” Goofy negotiated in the last contract when he upped our contribution for our health care premiums, not to mention that will be in addition to the increases the health providers levy on us.
i have a feeling a lot of dues paying union members are just about as sick of the democrats as they are of the republicans. unfortunately, i believe many feel they must support the dems because the repubs have made it clear , that given the chance, they will destroy collective bargaining and do away with our union jobs. the dems have not done much or anything for the postal unions. i guess by re-electing obama and with the senate staying in the dems hands, the postal workers avoided the repubs ‘killing’ us this time around. obama has appointed republicans to several open seats on the postal board of governors in this very critical time. why in the world would he do that? i look at the dems actions and i think they could pretty much care less about postal employees. the dems are interested in keeping the postal workers voting democrats so you see a lot of talk by the dems and no action. the repubs want to destroy the unionized postal workers and the democrats want to keep the unionized postal workers jobs in limbo to ensure that those members will feel the need to vote democrat. this whole thing stinks from both sides of the political aisle.
Let’s privatize the military instead. Lay everyone off. Hire some cheap foreigners to fight our wars for the “promise” that if they survive long enough we’ll let them be citizens. Dead men don’t collect debts.
Btw, i’m thinking seriously on becoming a scab myself. I’m tired of paying dues and still seeing jobs go and being paid less little by little/forced to pay more for my benefits. My workplace is being shut down and i’m being forcibly transferred. What exactly am i paying for? The only reason i might need union representation is if i have an accident at work. That’s it. Meanwhile i pay 500/year just to watch union reps sit on their butts in the breakroom, collect a modest boost on their paycheck for nothing, and get the best parking spots. When i ask what i’m paying for they give me the “be glad you have a job” routine. Seems to me i can have a job w/o paying if i just keep my nose clean.
Our boy Obie is good for nothing but telling lies and blaming Bush. Only a fool could have voted for the boy the 1st time and a complete idiot the 2nd!
PRESIDENT REGAN TOOK PART OF MY SOCIAL SECURITY BECAUSE I AM A FEDERAL WORKER,PRESIDENT OBAMAS HEALTH PLAN IS MAKING ME SPEND MORE MONEY THAN I EVER DID, AND ITS NOT COMPLETELY IMPLEMENTED YET.I SERVED IN THE U S NAVY DURING VIETNAM I AM A DISABLED VETERAN AND FEEL THE GOVT. DOESNT REALLY CARE .IT IS ABOUT THEM OR WHATS POLLITICALLY CORRECT.
fetch me a beer bitch, this is getting interesting.
Well said, Scott. Especially about the SCABS.
1.3% is no big deal other than it probably won’t apply to congress. Now what does going to 5 day delivery have to do with the budget? No tax dollars
go to the Postal Service. 5 day, if implemented, with cause a 3 billion loss in the first two years. Figure it’s just throwing a bone to our GOP buddies who may take it to insure further damaging of the Service and therefor it’s unions. Then again since a black democratic president is making the offer the GOP will dismiss it regardless.
Jackie, do you realize that privatizing the postal service means the company will operate to make a profit? That means no more free delivery to your house. Any delivery company that would take over will not make money delivering to every household in America. Really, is privatizing such a good idea? Why not write your congressmen and tell them to loosen the restraints they have on the Postal Service. They control our business model although we receive no tax dollars!!!!! The USPS must PRE-fund an employee retirement for employees that do not work for us yet or that are even born yet!!!! This was designed in 2006 to the tune of 75 billion dollars over a ten year period!!!! What do you think the government has done with the money we have already paid in? Set it aside for the USPS….ha ha if you believe that. No other private organization or government organization has been mandated to prefund retirement for employees not even born yet!!! Believe it or not, postal employees earn the money they make. Delivering mail through snow drifts, below zero temperatures and walking 10 miles a day with 35 pounds of mail on your back is not an easy job.
Now even President Obama wants to cut our throats because we’re Federal employees. He has already voiced support for five day delivery. I understand that budget proposals are almost never accepted as is on Capitol Hill, but it seems to me that the Democrats are willing to throw us to the GOP bastards in the name of cooperation. Why just Federal employees? Because we have stronger unions, that’s why. The GOP hates organized labor and will kill it if they ever get the chance. That chance is coming one day as more idiots buy into the “right to work” bullshit and think unions are bad for them.
But here’s an odd thing: while there are complaints from union members too, for the most part they like being union members because of wages, benefits and job security. What is not to like about that? Some scabs I know are too cheap to pay dues, and here it’s important to know that the postal unions do not have closed shops. A person can be a scab and get all the representation and benefits everybody else gets for nothing.
But Washington wants to stick it to the Federal employees because we do have decent middle class jobs, and that’s the sector of society they want to kill. Northlander, you are obviously being sarcastic in asking whether Congress will reduce their own pay and benefits. Of course they won’t. But you know that. Is there a body of people any more despicable, corrupt and just plain mean than today’s Washington D.C.? I hate them all.
SO does that mean Congress will pay more into retirement and have their benefits cut as well.
With most of the factory job going overseas [due to Congress’s bone head ideas] the Postal Service is one of the last good paying jobs. Just wait till the younger people start working nights and weekends,it won’t be long till they stop coming in to work.
As for the War that’s why they came up with the Postal Reform Act to take our $5 billion to pay for it.
Jackie works for ? and wants a bigger piece of the pie because of her own greed. Jackie before you says something so selfish as to privatize the post office one of the few good paying middle class jobs left that employs about half it’s workforce that served in the united states military that put their life on the line so you can exist. I served in the united states marine corps for four years and experienced things that have to live with for the rest of my life and to hear somebody like you say something so selfishly without understanding the big picture. Do you realize that vietnam and iraq and afghanistan wars have fought for your freedom and you want to thank us by taking our existence away. Thank you Jackie may God rest your soul!!!!!!!
Here we go again. Bend over Federal Workers
Why don’t private the PO, let the private sector runs it and pay sales tax, it is a good revenue for government.