Social Security Admin warns workers

[thundley4]

A top Social Security Administration official warned workers they may have to take furloughs if cuts proposed by House Republicans take effect.

Associate Commissioner Jay Clary, who oversees labor management at the agency, wrote to a federal workers’ union Thursday, alerting the union to start negotiating furlough terms because of the House’s proposal to slash funds by $125 million.

“Given the potential of reduced congressional appropriations for the remainder of the fiscal year, the agency is issuing this notice at this time in the event that a furlough may become necessary,” Clary wrote in the letter to the American Federation of Government Employees. The union represents at least 48,000 of the agency’s 70,000 employees.

The GOP budget would allocate $10.7 billion for 2011, while President Barack Obama’s 2012 budget asks for $12.5 billion for the agency, which dispenses checks to 53 million people each month.



Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/49817.html#ixzz1EKvMllTw

It looks like Obama is going to hold senior citizens hostage.

[JohnnyReb]

1/6 of the population is getting a SS check ?????????

No damn wonder it's going broke.

[docstew]

I remember seeing a Dept of the Army Civilian during the run-up to my first deployment. He was helping us get our equipment and vehicles prepped for shipment. Anyway, his jacket of choice was one sporting the AFGE logo and motto "United we bargain, divided we beg". Really opened my eyes as to what the union mentality was and who he really thought he worked for.

[DumbAss Tanker]

I remember seeing a Dept of the Army Civilian during the run-up to my first deployment. He was helping us get our equipment and vehicles prepped for shipment. Anyway, his jacket of choice was one sporting the AFGE logo and motto "United we bargain, divided we beg". Really opened my eyes as to what the union mentality was and who he really thought he worked for.

For the DACs and most Federal civil service employees, there really isn't much to bargain about and whatever positive role the union fills is really more like an ombudsman.  Federal pay and most benefits are set by Congress, no amount of whining from the union can change that, they have no right to strike, and the retirement system for anyone coming in after the mid-80s (Also set by Congress and non-bargainable) combines a very modest defined benefit plus a contributory 401k-type thing called Thrift Savings Plan.  That slogan was pretty much completely empty bravado and meaningless BS if he was a DAC.

eta - State and municipal workers, and teachers, that have collective bargaining rights DO get to bargain all that stuff in many places, which is total BS.  They work for a legal monopoly that is also a pubic utility, giving them the ability to hold it over a barrel and ass-rape it every time they want more pay and bennies is horseshit.