FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 19, 2018
December 19, 2018
Contact:
Tim Kauffman
202-639-6405/202-374-6491
[email protected]
Union, Lawmakers Call for End to Shutdown Standoff
Categories:
Congress
AFGE fighting to include 1.9 percent pay raise in funding deal
WASHINGTON – The nation’s largest union representing federal and D.C. government workers – the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) – today held a national press call with members of Congress, days before the government faces entering its third shutdown of 2018.
AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. urged Congress to include legislation providing for a modest 1.9 percent pay adjustment for federal employees in any funding bill. The Senate already agreed to the pay raise earlier this year, and the raise has received bipartisan support in the House.
“It’s imperative that federal employees be given a 1.9 percent pay raise next year, and we are going to be fighting night and day to make sure that happens,” Cox said.
Joining the call were Sen. Ben Cardin and Rep. Elijah Cummings, both of Maryland, along with AFGE local leaders representing the Bureau of Prisons and FEMA.
AFGE also discussed results of an internal poll on how government shutdowns have impacted our members. The poll was emailed to members last week and we received 3,488 responses. Among the findings:
- 86.2 percent say they had not been given direction on what to do during a shutdown;
- 86.1 percent say the lead up to a government shutdown affects their ability to plan or fulfill their work duties or interrupts aspects of their personal and family life;
- 79.4 percent say their ability to do their work as normal is impacted when the government is about to run out of money;
- 78.4 percent say they have been impacted by a government shutdown during their careers;
- 68.7 percent say their finances have been negatively impacted by a shutdown.
An audio recording of the press call will be available until 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 23. To listen, dial 800-475-6701 and enter access code 458707.
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