Each week, AFGE browses the World Wide Web for stories that matter to AFGE members. Here are the five stories you shouldn’t miss this week:
Federal pay freeze? Not without a fight
An op-ed by Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia: When President Donald Trump unilaterally canceled the pay raises for millions of federal employees, he not only declared war on America’s public servants, he also bet that their representatives in Congress won’t do a darn thing about it. I’m here to say: not without a fight.
Congressional opposition to federal pay freeze mounts
It's not a majority, but so far nearly 200 lawmakers pushed back against President Donald Trump's plan to freeze pay for civilian employees.
New Senate bill promises to keep Sept. 11th security fee in airline security
Air travelers have been paying an extra fee for increased airline security, but Congress has been using that money for something else. AFGE President J. David Cox Sr. talks to reporters about what’s wrong with that picture.
Southeast Asians’ Pay Gap and the Model Minority Myth
The “model minority” myth creates the narrative that all Asian Americans are wealthy and successful, but the truth is that Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander women actually experience some of the widest pay gaps.
The GOP tax cuts aren’t popular, so they want to do more of them
The 2017 tax bill cut taxes for most Americans, including the middle class, but it heavily benefits the wealthy and corporations. It slashed the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, and its treatment of “pass-through” entities — companies organized as sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLCs, or S corporations — will translate to an estimated $17 billion in tax savings for millionaires this year. American corporations are showering their shareholders with stock buybacks this year, thanks in part to their tax savings.
Congress has reached an agreement to fund the government until December 7. But they still need to pass a separate bill to raise federal employees' pay by 1.9%.
Read More
The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) is a tiny agency tasked with resolving labor-management issues involving more than 2 million federal employees. These issues range from unfair labor practices (ULP) to arbitration appeals to union elections. Federal employee unions go to the FLRA to challenge agencies’ unfair practices or failures to follow their own policies, among other things. But office closures across the country are leaving workers without a place to turn.
Read More
Responding to natural disasters is a core function of government that most people forget until their lives are at risk. As Hurricane Florence barreled toward the Carolina coast, more than 4,000 federal employees were mobilized to help communities prepare for the storm.
Read More
