Labor Fight At Federal Level Heats Up: Ad Calls On Public Workers To Mobilize Against GOP Budget Cuts

WASHINGTON -- The union representing hundreds of thousands of federal government employees is urging public sector workers to contact their members of Congress and lobby against the House GOP budget bill that would cut $61 billion in spending for the remainder of the current fiscal year.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), whose members also include government workers in the District of Columbia and some private sector employees, launched a new radio ad on Tuesday that encourages workers to humanize the cuts.

"The wrecking ball is hitting right now," goes the text of the ad. "Vital federal, state, and local services that working Americans depend upon every day are being smashed. As public employees, we know – first hand – the damage these crushing attacks will have on so many Americans."

It goes on to name effects of the cuts, including less support for U.S. troops; closing Social Security offices; shutting down food, air, water and coal mines; and less nursing care for veterans.

"Public employees need to set the record straight," the ad continues. "No one is telling the real story. And no one knows it better than public employees. Call -- then visit -- your Congressman and Senators. Tell them who you are and what you do. Just tell them the truth. It’s about time somebody did."

The ad will be running on nearly 100 radio stations in two dozen locations across the country on Wednesday.

LISTEN:

AFGE's newest effort represents a step up in union mobilization on the federal level, building on the mobilization and energy that has been taking place at the state and local level, in places like Wisconsin and Ohio. On April 4, the labor movement is also planning a national day of solidarity, with events all around the country.

“Federal agencies already are stretched thin since they’ve been operating on last year’s budgets for the past six months,” AFGE National President John Gage said. “These budget cuts will decimate federal programs and services but won’t make a dent in the massive budget deficit, which was the result of two unfunded wars, the stock market collapse and trillion-dollar bailouts and tax breaks for corporations.”

The government is currently running on a temporary funding measure that runs out on April 8. Unless Democrats and Republicans come to agreement on a new funding bill, the government will shut down -- ceasing the operations of national parks, the processing of many permits, work at Superfund sites, and work by many federal contractors, among other consequences.

Last week, lawmakers and the White House failed to come to a compromise over the $61 billion in cuts in the House GOP bill and the $10 billion Senate Democrats have approved in the two stopgap measures that have so far kept the government running.

Also on the federal level, Democrats are attempting to stop a push led by Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) to make it harder for rail and aviation workers to unionize.

Comments

[MiamiMama]

09:01 PM on 03/30/2011

Congrats to our wonderful government. You have given rich businesses major tax breaks and stolen homes and jobs from your citizens. You are asking people with jobs to take pay cuts and pay for perks they fought for over many years. The Middle Class gets to support the entire country. Then you ship people overseas to fight wars to secure oil all under false pretenses. Every night on the news we get to hear the lies of why you cannot do your jobs yet you seek to take jobs away from hard working people. You don't care because you already have money or you are getting so many kick backs, you don't worry about food on your table at night. The gig is up. People are fed up and you will feel their wrath in elections for many years.

[Ann Cornell]

12:25 AM on 05/03/2011

I think your statement is correct and shows real volume toward the RICH. The Federal government has been cheating many people out of a lot. Most of us have careers that was cut short and destroyed but our government doesn't care. WE the people are FED-UP and want a fair chance to pay our own taxes and provide for ourselves and others but things were snatched away.Lies is the riles they play but it's only called FRAUD.FRAUD is only the name used when we expect the government to pay our benefits.

[whoknew42]

11:07 AM on 03/30/2011

Solidarity, comrades!!

Fight for your rights - that's what America is all about! Not corporate moguls buying up our democracy - but real people fighting for thier true rights and liberties!

Freedom is not just for the top 2% to do what they want while whining about how the government won't let them pollute our planet or mistreat workers. Freedom is for the bottom 98% that built this country - not the board of directors - but the workers in the factories and out on the streets.

When are we going to get this in our heads?

[fowarddownthefield2]

12:59 PM on 03/30/2011

"Solidarity, comrades" is antithetical to "what America is all about." We are a nation of rugged individuals. You leave me alone, I'll leave you alone.

[ForsakenAmercian]

11:07 PM on 03/30/2011

Real "rugged". My buddies in Iraq were getting hurt because they did not have the proper vehicles or body armor and what did the public do? Whine about tax cuts. There is a lot of "lip service" patriotism in America but the reality is we have become a whiney, greedy, selfish and soft country. As the unions go so does the middle class. Corporations are sitting on record profits but are they hiring? Hell no!

[ForsakenAmercian]

07:50 PM on 04/04/2011

Wow, we are very different. I teach my kids not to be self-centered little trolls who only see the world in terms if how it benefits them. I worked my way through two college degrees so I am quite familiar with the self-betterment thing. I ate mud at Ft. Bragg to pay for part of my college. I am not a "socialist", I believe, as many great spiriitual teachers believed, the world is a better place when people work together to make the world better for all people not just be in it for themselves. I do not wait for others to help, I help, as a medic, as a father, as a friend, as a Christian and as a Democrat. It is great to be self-reliant to a point but there are are times when all people need help from others whether in battle, disease, divorce, disaster or poverty. Either you mis-percieve where I am coming from or you are an arrogant,smug Libertarian who does not believe the government has a place in helping people out.

[NoWMDs]

09:17 AM on 03/30/2011

Thank you Scott Walker for uniting the working people again. A strong labor movement is what's needed during a time where corporations are paying $0.00 Taxes, getting Corporate welfare in addition to tax refunds in the millions. No wonder our country is broke. These corporations like the Koch Brothers are bankrupting America. They are about as patriotic as Tim McVeigh.

[fowarddownthefield2]

01:00 PM on 03/30/2011

Tell Obama to tax his pals at GE. Sounds like you may support a flat tax. Look into it and maybe our opposing viewpoints can find common ground.

[ForsakenAmercian]

11:18 PM on 03/30/2011

In 2008, people making $200K and below paid about 50% of tax revenue. Those making $1M to $1.5M paid an average of about a $100K in taxes or about 10%. I am sick of people complaining about taxes. The rich are not be hit that hard, people with $10M or above paid about $600K in taxes, boo hoo....Corporations get huge write offs, subsidies or offshore. These figures come from the IRS, they print reports. Makes me sick. Tax cuts during two wars? So much for shared sacrifice.

[NoWMDs]

07:08 AM on 03/31/2011

Obama did not create the loopholes for these zero tax paying corporations. He's only been in office 2 years. This has been going on for many years and it's getting worse. Maybe if they forced the corporations to pay their fair share, the middle class would not have to pony up on their behalf. Even if they went to a flat tax, you can be sure they would find a way around that too. Enforcement and stiff fines is the only thing corporations understand.

[zatgy]

08:41 AM on 03/30/2011

FDR was opposed to public service unions. He was right.

[SouthernJewel]

08:50 AM on 03/30/2011

@zatgy
You should use sources to back up your statements.
Below is mine, along with the letter that FDR wrote.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/02/21/948033/-Wisconsin:GOP-Lying-About-FDR-Again

[classicalgeek]

08:56 AM on 03/30/2011

Thanks, you saved me the trouble.

[Believein2012]

09:10 AM on 03/30/2011

Mentioning lying and the dailykos in the same comment, how funny is that!

[NoWMDs]

09:10 AM on 03/30/2011

Would that be the:
Foolish
Drivel from
RepuliCONS

[free speech isnt free]

10:17 AM on 03/30/2011

Public Union employees on average make less than private employees for the same set of skills. I know this sound counter-in­­tuitive, but this has been true for several years.
http://www­­.nirsonli­n­e.org/in­de­x.php?o­pti­on=com­_con­tent&­task=­view­&id=39­5&I­temid=4­8
46 states will have budget shortfalls this year. These states include the most unionized (CA, NY, IL) to the least (NC, GA, and LA).
http://www­­.infoplea­s­e.com/ip­a/­A088296­0.h­tml
Other countries are recovering from the worldwide recession faster, are more unionized and pay higher wages than we do. So what is the problem? I don't know. I do know a full third of the President'­­s stimulus last year was money to states. The administra­­tion did want to do another stimulus especially payments to the states to keep people employed. But after the last election the Republic ans said, "No more wasteful stimulus spending. Elections do matter and we are already feeling the effects.

[stunsitfel]

07:33 AM on 03/30/2011

Drivel!! Here are the real facts:

During the last decade, compensation of federal employees rose much faster than compensation of private-sector employees. As a consequence, the average federal civilian worker now earns twice as much in wages and benefits as the average worker in the U.S. private sector.3 A recent job-to-job comparison found that federal workers earned higher wages than did private-sector workers in four-fifths of the occupations examined.

http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/overpaid-federal-workers

[rksnj67]

08:41 AM on 03/30/2011

Maybe it's more like during the last decade private sector wages stagnated and employers reduced or eliminated health/fringe benefits, also not helping is the loss of good paying jobs during that decade due to off shoring and other factors.

[SKonnery]

08:45 AM on 03/30/2011

That sounds like a Faux news hence John Funt survey.

[waynesmyer]

06:51 AM on 03/30/2011

And The Donald was born with a silver foot in his mouth!

[ampdem]

04:52 AM on 03/30/2011

We all know what needs to change, but nothing will, until people stand together and risk losing . All throughout history change has been made only when those that wanted it bad enough went after it as if they had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

[new beginning]

07:02 AM on 03/30/2011

What needs to change?

[crookedcountyillinois]

04:49 AM on 03/30/2011

I love this quote:

"No one is telling the real story. And no one knows it better than public employees. Call -- then visit -- your Congressman and Senators. Tell them who you are and what you do."

This says less about the ignorance of lawmakers, and more about just how much overgrown hyper-inflated government we have in this country.

After all, if their work is so essential, it shouldn't take an introduction, and an explanation, to figure out what these people do.

[new beginning]

07:03 AM on 03/30/2011

Bingo.

[whirlybird]

07:15 AM on 03/30/2011

Obviously YOU aren't aware of such things, so maybe it's necessary after all.

[rksnj67]

08:42 AM on 03/30/2011

touche'

[Liberalibrarian]

01:22 AM on 03/30/2011

Star Trek new movie homage quote:

Either they're going down, or we are.

[Liberalibrarian]

01:21 AM on 03/30/2011

April 4 (Monday) is "We Are One" national day of protest for pro-labor and union organizing/collective bargaining rights.

Go to moveon.org to find out where they will be in your area. Goolge has many sites telling of this event as well. Not only are union members going to be there, but also a significant number of faith and civil rights groups will also join in.

How many are going? I know I am.

It takes more than Facebook to enact change. It still takes getting into Tyranny's face.
Like Tahrir Square.

[classicalgeek]

08:58 AM on 03/30/2011

I'm going to be there, wearing my T-shirt that says, "Protest like Egypt, or we'll vote like Iran."

[Believein2012]

09:15 AM on 03/30/2011

Why not you already voted like Moscow

[Liberalibrarian]

11:57 AM on 03/30/2011

Good one.

[free speech isnt free]

10:07 AM on 03/30/2011

I'll be there

[Liberalibrarian]

12:02 PM on 03/30/2011

Excellent...

I see our friend believe2012 is here... lol

Same scintillating wit as ever. I wonder what he actually believes...the Mayan Calendar? Armageddon? Because more Repub/TPs voted into office in this country?
Not going to happen.

If you can write or read this post today: Thank a Liberal.

[yogajan]

12:39 AM on 03/30/2011

The Republicans opened up this can of worms in Wisconsin and now they are paying the price. I am sure there are a lot of behind the scenes power meetings with the money people from the GOP trying to figure out how to get the s... back in the horse.

[Enroh Mot]

12:43 AM on 03/30/2011

You have a good point Cassandra  : )

[LMPE]

11:54 PM on 03/29/2011

I challenge Scott Walker to address the AFGE directly

[rksnj67]

08:45 AM on 03/30/2011

That'll never happen. The GOP/TBaggers only like preaching to the choir. They don't want anyone to challenge their position because it'll show that their actions are only for the benefit of a select few.

[Enroh Mot]

11:33 PM on 03/29/2011

Do you remember the gas pipeline that blew up in California, the utility company charged their customers extra to fix, and never did, crooks that should have been charged with negligent homicide, there's a lot of repairs that need to be done to the crumbling infrastructure, and a lot of the costs could be paid for by the negligent corporations, but we need the right politicians in office to create jobs, don't vote Republican.

[saint bernard mom]

12:24 AM on 03/30/2011

LOL, the same thing happened in my city. All the CEO's at the water company raised our rates because (surprise, surprise!!) the water and sewer lines are almost 100 years old and need repair or replacement. Geez, I'm not a rocket scientist, but I know that things need maintenance and repair. But, CEOs that make 500K+  all of a sudden realize that water and sewer lines will need work. Maybe I'm not smarter than a 5th grader, but I know I am smarter than the water company CEOs!

[Enroh Mot]

12:34 AM on 03/30/2011

undefined

[Enroh Mot]

12:41 AM on 03/30/2011

Worked for years as a welder, before retiring worked 2 years teaching welding at a vo-tech school, my former students need jobs, we need political leadership.

[Vere15]

11:30 PM on 03/29/2011

More rejection of Christianity on the part of the teaparty and Republicans

[miketothad]

11:32 PM on 03/29/2011

and "supporting the troops".

fanned.