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Families First…

April 5th, 2019 | Posted by admin in Did you know? | National Updates | News - (0 Comments)

Did you know the United States is the only industrialized nation that doesn’t offer its citizens paid family leave? While a few states require companies to offer some level of paid family leave to their workers, most employees in the public and private sectors get no paid time off to bond with a new child or to address medical and family emergencies.

Would 12 weeks of paid family leave benefit you and your family? Tell us how.

Some members of Congress want to change this. They have introduced legislation that would provide all federal employees with 12 weeks of paid leave for reasons covered by the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). These include:

  • The birth, adoption, or fostering of a new child;
  • Caring for seriously ill or injured family members;
  • Tending to an employee’s own serious health condition; and
  • Addressing health, wellness, financial, and other issues that arise when a loved one is serving overseas in the military or is a recently discharged veteran.

Providing paid family leave to federal employees will help build support for extending this benefit to all American workers and their families. That’s why AFGE strongly supports the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act of 2019 (HR 1534).

Here’s how you can help: Tell us how 12 weeks of additional paid leave would help you and your family.

No federal worker should have to decide between caring for a child or loved one and their paycheck. Implementing this paid leave bill would help foster better morale and improve employee retention by making employees feel like their personal needs and families matter.

Congress needs to hear from federal employees like you. Your stories are very important. They help put a human face to this important issue. Your stories could help convince members of Congress to support this bill by showing how it will help real people across the country.

Click here to complete a short form and submit your story. We may even feature your family’s story online!

In solidarity,

AFGE

 

union meetings

 

Monthly Membership Meetings

 2nd Wednesday of each Month.

Time:  6:00 p.m.

Location:  600 W. Madison, Chicago IL 60661

Room:  HWSSC Conference Room #1- 1st FL.

 

NEXT MEMBERSHIP MEETING 

Wednesday October 10th, 2018

 

 

Heads up federal employee friends, Congress is trying to pass another BS law designed to hurt us.  Its called the MERIT ACT,  short for Modern Employment Reform Improvement, and Transformation Act. Call your reps today 866-356-0201 to tell your Member of Congress that this is unfair and unproductive, and to oppose the MERIT Act.
 
Under the MERIT Act:
 
You would no longer be able to appeal adverse actions and unfair reductions in force actions through the grievance procedures. The only venue for you to appeal these unfair actions would be the severely under-resourced Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), which reviews similar cases for the entire federal workforce of 2 million employees. The agency’s decision becomes final if the MSPB does not issue a decision within 30 days.
You will not have enough time to mount a credible defense if you are accused of performance or disciplinary issues, because the bill drastically shortens the response time.
You can be fired at any point in your first two years on the job, for any reason.
You may be forced to repay a bonus or award if the agency head claims he or she was unaware of a conduct or performance issues when you received the payment.  
 
To stay involved and updated on what AFGE is doing to protect your rights, text AFGE to 225568 from your personal phone (never your government phone) to subscribe to text updates.

RETIREES COLA SAVED!

November 2nd, 2017 | Posted by admin in Budget | News | Retirees - (0 Comments)

LETTER FROM AFGE PRESIDENT! 

 

Hello AFGE Retiree Brothers and Sisters –

Let’s start with a thank you to all of you who took the time to make a phone call or send a message to Congress about the federal budget. The Fiscal Year 2018 budget was adopted last week without making any cuts to current or future federal retirees’ benefits. The president’s budget proposed eliminating the COLA permanently for current retirees, and initially approved a budget that turned Medicare into an underfunded voucher program (and Medicaid into a block grant).

While this is good news, the passage of the budget clears the way for a tax reform package that calls for the funding to come from $500 billion in Medicare cuts and over $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid.

Even more, the budget cuts operating budgets for many agencies, including a cut of $465 million from the Social Security Administration’s operating budget. Right now, appointments for new Social Security claims can take up to 60 days, and benefits appeals can take over two years.

It is estimated that for every $100 million in budget cuts, another 826,000 new retirement or survivors’ claims will not be processed on time.

More Good News on Your COLA

The Social Security Administration announced that the cost of living adjustment (COLA) will be 2.0 percent, higher than in previous years. At the same, the federal retiree COLA for 2018 will be 2.0 percent.

Neither of these COLAs has kept pace with inflation, particularly factoring in the expenses of most retirees, but is an improvement of last year’s COLAs of 0.3 percent for Social Security and 0.3 percent for FERS and CSRS.

 

Click here to read more about the COLA increase.

GET ON THE CALL!

October 10th, 2017 | Posted by admin in Budget | Did you know? | News | Political | Shutdown - (0 Comments)

Your Invited!

 

AFGE Invites ALL Government Workers  & Retirees  to participate in a National Union Meeting

  •  Tuesday, October 10  @ 7:00pm CST  OR   9:00pm CST..

ALL government workers — whether they’re an AFGE member or not are WELCOME to join the call. 

A budget passed the House of Representatives on Thursday that would cut your pay and retirement. This budget will still need to be voted on by the Senate.

Please be on either of of these calls to learn how you can help to stop these cuts before they become law. 

On the 1st call, Virginia Senator, Tim Kaine (Senate Budget Committee) will join, AFGE President David Cox.  GLOBAL CALL

  • Call in number:   1-877-229-8493
  • Pass Code:           110858#

 

Don’t use government phones or be in duty status.

 

Read on your Personal Computer!

July 28th, 2017 | Posted by admin in Budget | News - (0 Comments)

govt standard 7-2017

 

Keep up to date with current news about Your Pay, and Pension! 

See Link:  government-standard_july_august-2017

 

Monthly Telephone Town Hall

CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE … TELL THEM  

                                                                               “VOTE NO”

 

 

H.R. 1259

Where is the Money?

October 3rd, 2016 | Posted by admin in Benefits | News - (0 Comments)

Feds, Retirees to Pay 6.2% More in Health Insurance Premiums

Federal employees and retirees will pay 6.2% more on average for health insurance premiums next year. This unacceptably high increase will hit millions of Americans in the pocketbook, making coverage less and less affordable and will cause many to drop coverage.

“Like most other Americans, federal employees and retirees have seen their standard of living decline due to stagnant incomes and cost increases for basic goods and services,” AFGE President J. David Cox Sr. said. “This is an unacceptably high increase that will force many families to make difficult decisions about how to pay their bills.”

While employees enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program will pay 6.2% more for their insurance premiums starting in January, the government’s share of those premiums will increase just 3.7%, according to the Office of Personnel Management.

For more information see

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