GOP Votes Pay Cut For Postal, Federal Workers

Posted on by postal

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.

58 thoughts on “GOP Votes Pay Cut For Postal, Federal Workers”

  1. Matthew you’re confusing “the basic annuity” with your TSP. It continues “..yet it does not increase annuities or provide additional benefits”.

  2. Did anybody bother to read in the 3rd paragraph where it says, “The bill requires FERS employees to contribute 5.8 percent of each paycheck toward the FERS basic annuity portion of their pensions…”? Who is getting a pay cut? Nobody! Your paycheck may be reduced by 5.8% but the money will be going into your retirement fund. It’s still YOUR money! And because it goes into your retirement it is tax deferred. You’ll be paying less in taxes right now and it will be helping to earn you higher interest on your account. In the long run we get more money, not less. Nobody is getting a pay cut!

  3. Apparantly you’re as smart as your picture, dumbass. Like union officials are on the same level as Corporate America. You know, the guys that actuall control the government and write the laws. F$#king dumbsh#t Fake News Morons.

  4. APWU union officials deserve an equal downsizing and reduction in their salaries! If the ship gonna go down let it go whole and not in pieces! Lemmings…unite and eat cake!

  5. While Dennis Ross and Darrell Issa tweet a good game on the urgency of doing something about the US Postal Service, they don’t seem in any hurry to actually DO anything. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Jamie Dupree, the House has no plans to take up the “reform” legislation proposed by the pair this week. Maybe the week after? Sorry, no- after another week of speeches, tweets, and inaction, our hardworking representatives plan to take yet another vacation:

    While the Senate has approved a postal reform bill, there is no rush in the House, as no postal reform legislation is on the schedule again this week.

    And since the House will be taking another 10 day break at the end of this week, no postal legislation could even reach the floor until June.

  6. Have just read most of the posts , and honestly believe some people should be checked out by a doctor.On what basis does one politcal party have the right to constantly try and destroy the lives of hard working , tax paying , not on welfare,non stealing from the public ,and most of all serving the people of this country day in and day out. Mr Issa and his republican counter parts are dispicable human beings. Read his history , dis-honorable discharge from the service , car theft , arson , and this man has built a fortune ( over 300 million in personal assets) on the backs and sweat of working stiffs. He needs to be voted out , yet he has recieved approx. 80 % of the votes in his district every election, Where are the union higher ups , focus on getting the truth to his district voters, put him on notice that he must be held accountable. Cut his pay 100% by taking his job away from him . A vote for a republican is a vote toward the dis mantaling of one of our countries greatest service based companies THE PROUD U S POSTAL SERVICE

  7. Workers are people who work to earn a check for food, shelter, medical needs.?
    Rich Republicans have access to their needs as working people work to increase their bottomline wealth per corporate earnings. Working people are comparable to working robots who are maintained and replenished to create wealth for the Republicans who hire corporate forces to insure maximumn productivity level are maintained by working people robots.

  8. I never could understand how anyone who actually works for their money could ever vote republican.

  9. The republicans are comparable to Egyptians Pharohs. They use cheapest labor to increase their narcisstic image. They only see themselves and having no concern for people serving them.

  10. Republicons only love money, war and evading taxes. Tea baggers have dollar signs in their eyes when they can buy politicians and privatize government agenesis to continue to rape lady liberty without oversight or regulation. 2012 will see less of your greedy party. Anyone who is dump enough to vote for the tea bagging republicons who actually believe that earthquakes and hurricanes are god’s wrath against the democrats is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders.

  11. If you work for the Post Office, and you vote Republican, there is no other way to say it………YOU’RE A FOOL! Simple as that. The reasons? If you don’t know……then………………YOU’RE STUPID!

  13. Most republicans suck. I hope they read this and get pissed . Screw McCain! Too bad he made it home. You don’t like it, bring your ass here, we’ll settle it. Sissys

  14. Dumbo is that you saying VERA would help to push USPS further into the Abyss?, saving all those benefits and paying no more of the salaries of those who leave, that is called Voluntary Early Retirement, if PMG wants to hasten this demise, he will keep offering management the VERA throw the bones though small, to his right and left balls (Management), like being on a sinking Cruise ship , and there are never enough life boats, APWU Cliff Guffey knows this is the end, now wants you to beg the GOP House to save us , really Cliff? , all part of the plan for a total collapse, we may be heading towards a Postal Armageddon, and very soon, make sure you do not miss those scans, watch those coffee and smoke breaks, work hard to the end, let your abusive inept Supervisor and /or Postmaster know you are there for them, treat the Customer with as much disrespect as you can do your job well !

    Unions like APWU gave it all away in the CBA, should have done the proper investigation, found out the lies, stop the overpayment into managements bonus pocket, think how many PM’s and Supervisors there are Nationwide, throw in graft, corruption, Incentive pay raises and bonuses, failed human resource policies and mechanization experiments, then tell me we are broke because of overpayment’ s into FERS alone.

    Moo Moo Clerk Cow says; Milk the Cow until they give better, More “Moo-la”and time, save AL, Use SL ,a day in the Life ;coffee break, smoke break,throne brake, Drain the Dragon break, smoke break, regular break, coffee break, smoke break, throne break, wash-up, lunch, coffee break, smoke break, Drain the Dragon break, smoke stress break, regular break, sugar Coke break, wash-up, home, and you want me to leave ?, (the above is not intended to show all breaks?)

    PMG loves hearing how the masses will go for 15k or 0k, he’s using us as Chess pieces, in his case, Checkers.

  15. Being a registered Republican i take views from both side to reach the middle.

    Just cannot stand the greed and selfishness from what i see coming from the Republican party,(AKA the Tea Party). I see that they dont have all Americans best interest, only a small rich% and will destory so many with their (are way is the only way BS).

    I beleive in taxing the rich, share >the pain< sort of and that we the people are losing this country to corporations and industries like the Koch brothers, in which they and others need to be hogged tied, sooner the better.

    Understanding united we stand, divded we fall..all of us 99% and 1%

    So on my official Republican ballot i went with all Democratic Senators and Representatives on both the State and United States side.

    heathens? a word that you call everybody else but yourselfs.

    Like the savage American Native Indians. heathens in which im proud to have some of their blood running through my viens even if just a drop. Its more then enough to see the truth.

    I strongly believe in the right to bear arms. "It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lighting in the hands".

  16. Working class middle income are targeted by noble blue blood ivy leagures that call themselves conservatives. Their basic aim is to maintain wealth, political clout to reenforce their control of the economy to accumulate additional wealth, power and maintain their genetic reproductio of hybrid genes to insure continued manipulation to insure security in maintaining wealth and political power.
    Democrats should band together to defeat GOP REPUBLICANS that would work people at minimumn wage if they could get away with it. The corporate bottomline is all that counts regardless of means to achieve. Import illegals, change their green cards up to 5 time or out source to China, Central America where ever to get greatest return.
    GE employees owe their union credit for their health coverage with BCBS Cadillac plan at $88.oo month. Same coverage cost federal retirees $431.00 month.
    Only ignorant, brain washed that listen to sound mouth per Rush, Shawn, Neal,Gleen, BS as this is means they sell advertising to receive large+ salaries. pRES. oBAMA is criticized continouly by hese egomanics. Ignorant wanna be social elite call in with ignorant sounds.
    rEPUBLICANS HAVE NO CONCERN FOR WORKING PEOPLE AS THEY ARE THE SOCIAL ELITE THAT SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND IVY LEAGUE COLLEGES AS THE BUSH BOYS WHOSE CHOSE POLITICS AS A GAME OF CAPITAL CHESS; MAKE THE RIGHT MOVES TO INCREASE CORPORATE EARNINGS FOR RETURNS.

  17. Yea, ya’lls vote democrat. What’s another 17 trillion dollars of debt, heathens.

  18. look around people , at the people running the show the last few years.It didn’t work quit pointing fingers.We need a new leadership an game plan to get our country back.If we can’t work together we will fail as a country

  19. We all know Republican Reps like Issa and my own sorry Representative Steve Womack are mean spirited cut throats out to kill the unions and destroy a decent living wage for all Americans, but I am appalled (not surprised) at the number of clueless morons who support lawmakers who are out to cut the throats of the people who vote for them right along with everybody else.
    There is no excuse for supporting such a corrupt evil party. Because the GOP plays the race card and homophobia angle for all it’s worth, gullible voters keep them in office. You and your racist stupidity are just as responsible for the shape the country’s in, you GOP lovers. You’re stupid, full of hate for anything you don’t understand, which is damn near everything, and will not listen to anybody. How would you like 5% or even 15% of your pay cut, as one jerk recommends? You wouldn’t, and you’d holler louder than anybody, but since you’re incapable of thinking about anybody but your own selfish ass, you don’t care. You have let the GOP and the Christian right make total fools out of you and you’re too dumb to know it.

  20. First vote to require a payment for prefunding future retirees in 2006 and take the money from postal employees to waste on all kinds of war. when we ask about it , nobody can tell where those money are! Now, play another game to destroy the union and the employees. Vote all these scumbags out .

  22. Really Rod? You do know that only the oldest employees are CSRS employees, don’t you? How can you “phase in” something that will not affect anyone else but employees near retirement? Where is the need to fund the CSRS system since it is now OVERFUNDED? This is simply a money grab by Issa and company to punish postal workers.

    Issa has a hard on for middle class workers. He wants to eliminate the middle class workers so that organized dissent against Republican policies ends. This is classic robber baron stuff.

    The USPS is being required to pay for G.W. Bush’s two wars, which is why the bill to fund health benefits SEVENTY FIVE YEARS into the future was foisted on the USPS. IF the USPS had that $5.5 Billion back, there is no “crisis” in the Postal Service. Do the math.

    Here’s another question for the house. Where were all of the Tea Baggers when Bush was screwing the pooch with his tepid oversite policy for Wall Street and the huge banks? It caused the near collapse of the economic system in the USA, which Obama had to deal with when he was elected. Lets face it, all of this Tea Party nonsense has one goal. The same goal it had when it started right after Obama was elected. It is to get the N____ out of the White House. When the Tea Party started this whole thing, they stated that they wanted “our country back.” Well, who stole their country from them? Barack Obama must have done so by having the audacity of being elected President, instead of knowing his place.

  23. Ryan is at least trying to rein in Federal spending. This seems like a sensible proposal especially since it phases in and mostly affects new hires.

  24. Now why would they vote to cut Postal employees pay? When the Post Office does not get a dime from tax dollors.

  25. This articale states “The bill requires CSRS employees to contribute 12 percent, yet it does not increase employees’ annuities or provide any additional benefits upon retirement.” There is an exception according the Handbook EL-502 (233) – “Retirement deductions withheld after 41 years and 11 months of service are
    applied toward payment of deposits or redeposits, with any balance
    automatically refunded to the employee at the time of retirement. Excess
    contributions may be used as voluntary contributions to increase annuity or
    be returned to the employee as a refund.” This is 3 years away for me and with a 5 years phase-in (guessing 1% a year) I would lose maybe 1% first yr, 2% second yr, and 3% the third year. Then I max. out and anything after that I can have refunded to me. So I could possibly have that extra 5% refunded to me if I was willing to work that long.

  26. Republicans are brilliant!! Destroy ALL unions which will dry up campaign contributions to the Democrats. Without large sums of cash, public opinions can be swayed to enhance the Republicans message. Remember the Swiftboat Veteran Campaign for truth? Destroyed the Kerry quest and turned out to be one big lie!!

  28. Its the fault of the unions. By supporting the Socialist Democrats election after election, you caused what is going on in this country. You and the unions opened it up for the Republicans and the Tea Party to get in and decimate the working people of this country. Don’t give to COLCPE! I gave to COLCPE for 8 yrs. When the healthcare bill was passed and supported by the unions against the wishes of the people I cut COLCPE OFF! They will just continue to give money to the people who will screw this country. Remember the president was supported by the unions and now he is stabbing us in the back with 5 day delivery.

  29. A slight increase to our own pension? Really? That’s what all this anger is about?
    I get to keep my job and benefits just contribute a little more to funding MY future benefits? OK!

  30. There should be a new party, niether GOP or DEMS are getting the job done. Dems made the mess with the pre funding bill in 2006. So the senate made an incomplete attempt to fix it with bill 1789 and the house bill 2309 is lead by a nitwit and an idiot who just want a cheap laugh on the backs of goverment employees who hardly vote GOP. The only fix is to repeal the 2006 bill, not come up with another hairbrained bill. PO has plenty of money, they just are like everyone else in politics they want bigger bonuses and time in the public eye. Relax everyone till the dust settles, bill 5652 isn’t gonna live. And maybe po don’t live either, in the long run no one and nothing lives, last I heard the andromedia galaxie will slam into the milky way and raise havoc in 50 million years. Kiss your headstones and monuments goodbye!

  31. just do away with all management and postmasters…… Let the letter carriers and clerks take over and run it all. They can be trained for a lot less money to do these positions. There are a lot of carriers that have worked in mgmnt positions

  32. @Captn:
    YOU are right….YOU make way to much for what you do…..
    And it’s only right that you should quit your OVERPAID, OVER BENEFITED
    JOB so that a PSE who really needs the work and APPRECIATES GETTING
    A FAIR WAGE can slip right in to your SORRY ASSED OLD JOB.

    I’m sure that some other NON-UNION EMPLOYER will see how much of an ASSHAT…err….I mean ASSET you would be to his organization and would PAY YOU WHAT YOU ARE REALLY WORTH….after all, that’s what REPUBLICANS WANT….A GLORIOUS MERITOCRACY where they will GIVE IT TO YOU….errrr….I mean “GIVE YOU WHAT YOU ARE WORTH”…..and that would be Federal Minimum Wage….YOU can live on $7.25 an hour, right???

  33. See? There are still complete morons living amongst us. Koon and minions. That’s priceless jabberwacky. Please go populate another parallel universe, far far away.

  34. The GOP had the Dems, now the votes of millions are lost to them, what are they thinking?, the majority of Federal/Postal workers make average salaries, evil GOP has signed their own death warrant.

  36. Should cut by 15%! We make way too much for a job that requires no skill and no education. Darn right vote GOP, it may hurt a little but the Koon and minions will cause our demise

  37. Fix it all, they work for the american people. Put them int the same social syatem as all americans, Social Security, Retirement,and Medical that we deal with all are lives. Whats good for the Goose is good for the Gander!!!!! Thanks

  38. do not vote for republicants this year…..
    get them out of office. get involved.

    democrats have 23 senators up for re-election…. only 10 republicans are up…..

    GET INVOLVED…… DONATE….. HELP……

  39. Well i hope all you republicans postal workers get cut you bunch of dumb asses! Keep voting republican and watch your salary get cut you down to 15 dollars and hour as for me i am out of here, and dont forget vote for issa, ross, ryan 2012 ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

  42. Shut up, you dolt! We shouldn’t have to be the ones bailing out the Wall St. faggots that caused the mess we’re in! Dumbsh*t loser!!

  43. Oh stop complaining and being selfish and look at the BIG PICTURE that affects the whole country and not just yourselves!! Cry Babies!!

  44. REPUBLICANS CAN KISS MY A_ _! LET’S TAKE SOME OF THEIR MONEY AND SEE HOW THEY LIKE IT!

  46. why not? our money is already worthless, we might as well start a farm co-op commune and live in tents

  47. Yo the one percenters again get their boot licking cronys to attack union federal workers so as to cement their strangle hold on wealth and power for the next century. Wake up america and vote against all the lieing political facist republican robber baron agenda.

  48. Who will help the working people. The GOP will increase our taxes but give tax breaks to millionaires! Just not right!

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