APWU Web News Article 58-2012, May 11, 2012
The House of Representatives voted for a 5 percent cut in postal and federal workers’ pay on May 10 by approving an increase in employees’ pension contributions. Republican members of the House provided all 218 votes in favor of the measure, while 183 Democrats and 16 Republicans opposed it.
The 2012 Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act, introduced by Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), would phase-in the five percent contribution increases to both the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) over five years.
The bill requires FERS employees to contribute 5.8 percent of each paycheck toward the FERS basic annuity portion of their pensions and requires CSRS employees to contribute 12 percent, yet it does not increase employees’ annuities or provide any additional benefits upon retirement.
The bill would also require new federal employees who are hired after 2012 with fewer than five years of previous federal service to immediately pay 5.8 percent to the FERS plan, with no phase-in.
In addition, the bill would eliminate the FERS Social Security supplement for new employees hired beginning in 2013, which is now paid to FERS employees who voluntarily retire before reaching age 62.
“Once again, Congressional Republicans are insisting on balancing the budget on the backs of public servants who provide important services to the American people,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey.
The bill will next be considered by the U.S. Senate. Members are urged to contact their two U.S. Senators and ask them to oppose this egregious attack on postal and federal employees.
“This bill is reprehensible. I encourage union members to contact their Senators and ask them to remove this provision when it is considered,” the union president said.
“APWU members should also contact the offices of their U.S. representative and ask why supporters of H.R. 5652 voted to cut their pay,” said Legislative and Political Director Myke Reid.
Union members can reach their senators’ and representative’s offices by calling the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.
To find out how your representative voted, click here.
Now we are going to keep open Buffalo NY, near Rochester NY ( P&DC,L&DC), the WNYD Manager is Kathleen Burns, she is with Comp fraud, POOM Mary Neddy ( Where is OIG? ), apparently, she has a friend, Senator Chuck, all politics, so these people will not be excessed in Buffalo to other places, yet Burns rapes all the offices under Buffalo?, what is going on here, sounds like preferential treatment, while important places close, Buffalo NY ( where unfortunately the population is dying off) will stay open ( not even scaled back), they can sit in the lunch rooms and play games!
They killed the innocent Molly Maguires for Coal Mine crimes, so for crimes we cannot hang the Congress?
You people keep talking “Republican” and “Democrat!” WTF? Don’t you realize they are all the same? Get rid of all of ’em! And, here’s an idea, maybe the postal service should take as long to deliver their mail as they have taken to even PRETEND to do anything~! Oh, yeah, I guess Donahoe already thought of that idea! And I suppose all that would do is hit home to the lawmakers that the postal service is obsolete…or is it? The other side of the coin is that some of the economy would halt. Scary idea, isn’t it? Scary Congress! Get rid of ’em!
Ok, when are these people, called the Congress, called our “lawmakers, going to join the ranks of the rest of the Federal workforce?!!!!! When are THEY going to take a 5 percent paycut, in fact, when are THEY going to actually get the same insurance plans that the rest of the Federal workforce do? When are THEY going to get the same days off that the rest of the federal workforce does? When are THEY GOING TO GET THE SAME RETIREMENT PLAN AS THE REST OF THE FERS EMPLOYEES?!! Although I have been saying this same thing for over a year, I have heard absolutely NOTHING from these lawmakers about how THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE ANY CONCESSIONS TO ASSIST IN GETTING THE US GOVERNMENT OUT OF THE WHOLE THEY PUT US INTO!!!!! Hey! Maybe they could ask AIG or GM to lend the government some money now, since they are doing so well after their swift bailout!!! Vote these freaking people out! They need to get back to the real world instead of thinking that they are so much better than the rest of the American public (especially the rest of the Federal workforce, which whether they know it or not, THEY ARE A PART OF)!
the democrats was not in power when the vote went down for the pre funding. they were voted in on Nov 2006, took office in 2007. get your facts right.
“Will 5% pay cut change your retirement plans?”
No… will work 5% less a day for a year then 10% and so on, till retirement.
This is just another liberal tactic of playing with words! This is the same as saying Wonder bread voted a pay cut to postal employees by raising prices of it’s bread. We need to fund our own retirement and keep taxpayers funds out of it. Don’t believe liberal trash articles like this without using a knife and scraping the crap off and getting to the real issue. Think for yourselves!
Hey Postal Workers wake up. If you are not registered to vote, please register and make sure you vote those MOTHERFUC*ING REPUBLICANS out of office. Can’t tax billionaires and millionaires but they don’t mind sticking it in our asses without any grease.
Bob has hit it right on the head. Requiring any additional money from workers to be placed in an independently verified “OVERFUNDED” retirement fund is as blatant as theft can be. The proposal does nothing to help solve the USPS alleged money crisis, it just takes money out or the working class pockets.
Matthew is way confused. Study FERS and realize there are 3 components. TSP, FERS annuity, and social security. This bill also eliminates the social security offset for FERS retirees under 62. I’m a CSRS employee and even I know your retirement system better. Study up. It is a major pay cut.
Fisherdog, really? Where does it say you’ll keep your job and your benefits? An outright theft that does nothing to help the red ink in the USPS ledger goes through, next is re-writing the collective bargaining agreement, and mandatory layoffs. Wake up!!!
Shirley….wow. All the National Debt was just created in the last 3 years right. How many times was the debt ceiling raised during W’s illustrious 8 years. And can I please get my Iraq war tax dollars back.