Gage Addresses Union Members at Human Rights Rally in D.C.

AFGE National President John Gage Addresses Union Members at Human Rights Rally in D.C. Photo Gallery of Human Rights Rally in D.C.

As this Congress is finishing up its gluttonous feast of public funds, I'm wondering if you are seeing this Administration and their rogue bullies like I'm seeing them.

Just follow the money. Every action, every bill, every regulation rammed through by this Administration lines the pockets of big campaign contributors. Take Medicare, subsidized HMO's; an $800 million shot in the arm to drug company's and most hypocritically, freedom from competition in setting prices logging company's will prevent forest fires by cutting down trees. Industrial polluters will get tax credits. Private companies will inspect our meat. VA hospitals will be closed or contracted out despite the one and maybe only true fact about this war, today's solider is tomorrow's veteran. And you can already hear the salivating of Wall Street licking their chops over the big enchilada--the privitization of Social Security.

To me a chilling example of this corporate raid on public funds can be seen in the battle waged by AFGE to block new contracting out regulations by OMB. The old A-76 just wasn't slanted enough toward big contributor contractors to permit the flea market of 800,000 federal jobs and core government functions.

The Administration brass knuckle tactics beat by one vote the AFGE supported bill that would allow federal employees to at least submit a bid, require contractors to show a savings and allow unfair competitions to be appealed to GAO.

The ferocity of the Administration bullies in beating back the amendment underscores their greed because only a fully opened tap of public funds can satisfy the voracious appetites of profiteering contractors and their OMB godfather.

But this Administration was not content to merely take the money and run. The tragedy of 9/11 gave them the opportunity to use spurious and deceitful national security sound bites to throw a KO punch to institutions standing in their way.

In DHS and DoD more than 1 million employees had their civil service rights, individual rights and union rights simply blown away. MSPB rights-gone, FLRA rights-gone, FSIP rights-gone, even arbitration-gone.

For unions, the scope of bargaining completely defined by management. Dispute resolution completely controlled by management with no avenue of appeal. It is particularly disgusting to recall how this Administration repeatedly and unconscienably raised the flag to justify their actions. But it has become so clear that this Administration and its corporate masters don?t see red, white and blue. The only color they really care about is green.

New Equal Employment Opportunities regulations denying federal employee?s rights to a hearing will add the finishing touches to the new civil service of patronage, fear, coercion and intimidation. The guard is down for women minorities and senior employees.

And here, in the DoL, the Secretary says that she?s just trying to clarify the rules on overtime. Arbitrators and judges have no problem with the rules. It?s only this Administration?s corporate masters who have the problem or should I say the opportunity to knock out overtime pay for millions of workers and pocket the money.

There is something terribly wrong in America. Very smart, powerful people are pillaging our country behind a smoke screen of guns, God and gays, and they are institutionalizing their greed by destroying any organization that stands in their way.

But inch by inch, friends and families first, neighborhood and communities next, we will build a momentum based on information and real American values that will stop the rape of our country and the erosion of the rights of working people.

I think you know what I'm saying. I think you too feel as outraged. I think you feel a sense of real patriotism. I think you know that each one of us has an obligation, each one of us--everyday--in every way to stop it. Stop it now. Stop it today. Stop it tomorrow. Stop it in November.

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