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Pay Raises and Rights of All Federal Employees At Risk As Congress Begins Debate on DoD Civil Service Overhaul

April 24, 2003

DoD Secretary Rumsfeld is pressuring Congress to quickly implement the Pentagon's 205 page legislation that would place DoD civilian employees under a completely new personnel system. The sweeping personnel changes in the bill would eliminate annual pay raises, step increases, appeal rights, bargaining rights and reduction in force protections for all DoD employees. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

• Brief Summary of Proposed Personnel Changes
• Copy of the Omnibus Pentagon Legislation (550KB PDF)

The impact of the personnel changes proposed by DoD are huge and are likely to affect all AFGE members. As former Merit Systems Protection Board official John Palguta put it in yesterday's Washington Post, "This one is huge. I think where (the Pentagon) goes on this will have a major impact on what might happen for other agencies."

The DoD bill is on a fast track for passage. The House Government Reform Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency Organization has scheduled a hearing next Tuesday, April 29, at 10:00 in Room 2203 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The full House Government Reform Committee will consider, mark-up, a final version of the bill on Wednesday, April 30.

What Can AFGE Grassroots Activists Do?

The focus of attention right now must be the House Government Reform Committee and the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. All AFGE Locals and activists should begin sending hundreds of Action Faxes in to the offices of Representative and Senator(s) who are on either of these committees.

• Action Fax to Representative
• Action Fax to Senator
• New Rumsfeld Plan Flyer
• List of Representatives on the House Government Reform Committee
• List of Senators on the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee

For your future and your family's, please put your action plan into action today! DoD wants to shove this bill down the throats of federal employees as quickly as possible. It will be a very bitter pill to swallow if we don't mobilize now!

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