Senate revises majority of retirement reductions in reconciliation bill, preserving anti-public service measures
The Senate Republicans have updated their budget reconciliation package, sparking controversy and criticism from various federal employee unions. The revised package includes several measures that aim to cut federal spending, partially pay for tax cuts for the wealthy, and increase immigration enforcement.
One of the key points of contention is the proposed attacks on federal employee unions. The updated package requires federal agencies to charge a 10% fee on automatic union dues payroll deductions and requires labor groups to pay rent on office space and other use of agency property.
National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) National President Doreen Greenwald criticizes these proposals, stating that they make it harder for the federal government to compete for skilled employees due to reduced take-home pay for new hires. She also calls for the rejection of proposals to start charging federal employee unions simply for existing in the workplace.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) National President Everett Kelley shares similar sentiments, describing the updated budget reconciliation package as a "big retaliation bill" against unions. He further describes it as another effort to penalize government employees and their unions.
The updated package also requires the Office of Personnel Management to conduct an audit of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program for beneficiaries that are no longer eligible. It also requires federal workers to pay a $350 filing fee to challenge an adverse personnel action before the Merit Systems Protection Board.
These changes, according to Kelley, significantly increase the burden on federal workers' retirement benefits. New hires will pay more than double toward FERS compared to feds hired after 2014, amounting to 9.4% of their basic pay. Those who elect to accrue civil service protections will pay an additional 5 percentage points on top of that, or 14.4% of basic pay.
The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) expresses concern over the high contribution level for new federal hires in the updated budget reconciliation package. They question the value of the retirement benefits for new federal hires due to these high contributions.
The updated package also removes provisions that would have reduced federal workers' retirement benefits. However, it includes a more draconian version of the controversial plan to force future federal workers to choose between a more expensive defined benefit annuity and at-will employment.
In conclusion, the updated budget reconciliation package has sparked significant controversy and criticism from federal employee unions. The measures aimed at federal employee unions and the increased burden on federal workers' retirement benefits have raised concerns about the future of the federal workforce. The author of the bill draft for the Republican Senate members' budget reconciliation package is Senator Lindsey Graham.
