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Easy solution to this problem. Contract out every single federal job to the private sector (except the military of course) and let the free market determine salaries. It works for every other industry on the planet.
Look. I don't know you and I don't know if your a government lifer.
But that is EXACTLY the attitude that America is sick of.
While most Americans are just trying to scrape by in this recession the government paper-pusher is saying, "Hey leave my benefit package, perks and pay alone and pay attention to the guy above me. He's the one who is really getting over.
Of course, when you knock on his door, that guy says THE EXACT SAME THING ABOUT THE GUY ABOVE HIM!
That "pass the buck", D.C. attitude is what people are just sick and tired of AND ITS GOT TO STOP!!
Government Workers: ITS TIME THAT YOU SACRIFICE ALONG WITH THE REST OF US OUT HERE! THE PRIVILEGE STOPS NOW!!
Actually none of us really mind sacrificing. There's been a lot of talk about it at work.
What we don't like are the generalizations:
1. You make more that the private sector employees. Well we've seen that we actually don't in so many instances. That's fine. If you need to cut to save money, do it, but don't paint us with some broad brush stroke that we're all fat cats. Some are overpaid, and generally those tend to be the 20 year mailroom clerk or the 25 year "secretary". They do much better in the government. The engineer---eeeh, not so much. Cut because the country is broke, don't try to make us out to be evil.
2. Big fat pensions: we don't have them. After 1984, any person obtaining government employment was put in FERS. The CSRS pension was not available anymore. Under FERS you have a 401K plan that government does matching with (just like all the private companies I worked for). I believe it is up to 5% of what you contribute. We also get an annuity. That annuity will pay you 1% of your highest three years of salary for each year you worked. So if I worked for 20 years and my high three averaged out to $100,000, I would get a pension of $20,000 per year plus live off my 401K and Social Security. The pension is not totally given to us, we do contribute a small amount each paycheck toward the pension. Now, I won't **** off ANY money but, I am likely to retire with this $20,000 a year pension. I'm sure I'll need it but it's not anything so wonderful that it's making me stay in my government job. My friend who works for SAIC (under a government-paid contract) gets a much better deal thab me. She also gets a 401K with matching, better health insurance premiums, PLUS she gets the ability to buy into SAIC stock options and very big bonuses each year.
Now I realize that much of the country is suffering; however, it's really hard to compare what goes on in one area compared to others. I think in some areas the government employees are living like fat cats and in others they live subpar to the private sector (DC namely). When you take a locale like DC and you start stripping away workers benefits, pay, and denigrating them by making them scapegoats because you're angry that they might have something you don't, you don't realize what you're creating.
What's going to happen is that the government workers (in a good market) will be dessimated, will leave federal service (I know I will) and go work for the #2 and #3 employers in the DC area (SAIC and Northrup Grumman). The government won't save any money at all, they'll just have the contractors (their buddies) pick it up, pat themselves on the back for decreasing the government payroll numbers and the budget will continue to blow up.
I don't really care. I always have a job waiting for me back at employer #2 and #3 and, to be honest, I might welcome it. Less responsibility for me, I will get a holiday party again, and I will be able to use a restroom that has marble floors and twice a day cleaning (oh and no mice infestations).
Haven't read through the thread, but federal employees still get annual raises. So, to say that their salaries are 'frozen' is disingenuous of the gov't. They still can go up in steps, which equates to a raise. The only thing that's frozen is the dollar amount assigned to each step. So, say you're a GS12 Step 5 earning $77,000 (using rounded numbers, not exact)... come raise time you go to a GS12 Step 6 and bam! You're now making $79,000 (or whatever that step increase is equivalent to). Their salaries are NOT frozen.
Congress should vote to cut its pay by 5%. Constitutionally it could not be effective until after the next election, but it would be a great gesture that they are willing to make some sacrifices.
Haven't read through the thread, but federal employees still get annual raises. So, to say that their salaries are 'frozen' is disingenuous of the gov't. They still can go up in steps, which equates to a raise. The only thing that's frozen is the dollar amount assigned to each step. So, say you're a GS12 Step 5 earning $77,000 (using rounded numbers, not exact)... come raise time you go to a GS12 Step 6 and bam! You're now making $79,000 (or whatever that step increase is equivalent to). Their salaries are NOT frozen.
You are correct, the within grade step increases have not been stopped.
What has been stopped is the migration upward of the GS scale and the annual raise given by Congress which, I believe for the last 2 years was around 2%.
Haven't read through the thread, but federal employees still get annual raises. So, to say that their salaries are 'frozen' is disingenuous of the gov't. They still can go up in steps, which equates to a raise. The only thing that's frozen is the dollar amount assigned to each step. So, say you're a GS12 Step 5 earning $77,000 (using rounded numbers, not exact)... come raise time you go to a GS12 Step 6 and bam! You're now making $79,000 (or whatever that step increase is equivalent to). Their salaries are NOT frozen.
Oh, also wanted to add that step increases are not annual. Here's the timetable from OPM:
Advancement from... Requires...
step 1 to step 2
52 weeks of creditable service at step 1
step 2 to step 3
52 weeks of creditable service at step 2
step 3 to step 4
52 weeks of creditable service in step 3
step 4 to step 5
104 weeks of creditable service in step 4
step 5 to step 6
104 weeks of creditable service in step 5
step 6 to step 7
104 weeks of creditable service in step 6
step 7 to step 8
156 weeks of creditable service in step 7
step 8 to step 9
156 weeks of creditable service in step 8
step 9 to step 10
156 weeks of creditable service in step 9
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