Return to Article: Federal employee groups step up political efforts as fall elections approach
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80039
We as middle class can put blame on our government and you can think your unions will protect you, talk to employees from all unions and see how they were protected.
What we the middle class have to stop doing is stabbing eachother in back to get ahead at our employment and not let prejudges stand in our way. Stay divided as the middle working class persons and you will get less pay, do more work and have more and more benfits taken away from you.
The middle class is the backbone of the country we have to unite and be heard in order to be respected, get back our rights, our benefits and secure our retirment.
The big companies are heard by the government officals we are not. The government officals many times use us to win their campain and forget about us. It is time for us to unite and make our government official keep their promises.
Hospital keep saying they have to charge us more so therefore our health insurane charges us more. Our hospital say they are always in the "red" as long as the hosiptals have outstanding bills they will claim they are in the red and we will pay more so the "board of directors" can make the big salaries.
It is time hospital have to post what bills were collected and how much the board of directors made and less see how much the hospital are in the "red".
Again we have to unite and force our government officals to have the hospital and insurance companies to show if the hospitals are really loosing monies.
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54440
A working man that votes Republican is like a chicken voting for Col. Sanders...
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54436
For those that don't have a clue: The Union's job is not to "hold employees accountable" only to make sure that management, whose job it is, does it in a fair and consistent way; How was the Government during the Clinton years?...it was running a surplus, gas prices were not going through the roof, we weren't involved in a war through lies and manipulation and the housing market along with the economy wasn't tanking; The Union a single issue group!...I hope so, that's what I pay them for; The Unions undermining the federal workers?...federal employees supporting the same conservatives who are outsourcing their jobs and cutting their pay (while at the same time protecting taxpayer robbing contractors) are more responsible for that. Stop listening to the "fair and balanced" news network and try opening your eyes and ears so you can think for yourself. It doesn't hurt as much as you might imagine.
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54419
Unions have my support and vote as well as the Democrat Party. After all, it has been the unions who have been fighting to put an end to the facist NSPS brought to us by non-other than Republican Rumsfeld and the corrupt White House. Was it not another Republican Administration who enacted FERs! how's that working out for everyone since 1986 and we were forced into the Las Vegas "Roll-The-Dice" 401K retirement system. Boy, the CSRS sure looks great right now
Republicans and conservatives in general and by nature have always hated and loathed Unions to their own peril. However, historically the labor movement in this country is soley responsible for giving rise to the American middle class. Without labor....there is no Middle Class.
Wake up folks, Republicans starting with Reagan have been at war with unions and the American middle class since 1981.
Republican Administration won't rest until they turn the entire DOD into a Corporate Defense Contracting entity.
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54418
The danger to Feds and the problem unions pose lies in the union's very success in Congress. That problem was then compounded by a WH that doubled the number of Federal employees and the money now available to the unions for political activities. Overall, Federal unions have created a "new" class of worker that is out of touch with the rest of America. Our unions and effectively Federal employees now stand for no performance standards, special inflation protected wage and retirement benefits, no competition much less full and fair cost competition for commercial work, inefficiency, a total lack of accountability at the management and service levels, service incompetence --the list goes on. Its not the union's fault to seek these things, it is the Congress's and their leadership's fault for allowing it to happen - and that is because they are bought and paid for. So, as federal employees continue to be professionally disrespected and as federal employment is viewed more and more as a social program for losers, be sure to thank your unions, your representatives and the President for all their help.
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54373
It ticks me off that the American Federal of Govt Employees endorse ANY candidate - what happened to the Hatch Act? This organization does not speak for me and never asked me MY opinion! Do they just arbitrarily endorse whoever the high-ups want to? Sure seems like it to me!
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54366
GovtPCO should do his/her homework before calling someone a liar. Perhaps a stroll through the DOL website might refresh your knowledge?
Why does everything have to go back to the Clintons? We've had 8 years of Bush and twice as many federal jobs have been lost since 2000 than in the preceeding 8 years. Follow the numbers instead of your stale tirades about Bill Clinton. Google is your friend.
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54349
Have all of you guys been working in the foreign Service on Mars during Georges' tenure or have you been at Rumpelstiltskin's house for eight years? The American worker has suffered mightily its time for a return to the center...the center of someone with a brain.
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54345
I've worked for the Govt for over 30 years. Never cared about the union and still don't. Unions don't hold employees accountable for doing their jobs and if a manager tries to the employee can run to the union for protection. Seems like everyone had forgotten what the Govt was like when Carter and Clinton were in office. Politics don't belong in the Govt workplace and neither does the union.
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54336
This is the problem with all 'single issue' lobby groups, be they the K-streeters or unions.
They see all political positions as a narrow interest. They view this as serving their 'consituents' but creates a myopic climate in which complex problems are no longer seen for what they really are.
The poster who says only 'volunteer PAC donations' go to the Dems is not stating the truth.
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54308
Walk a mile in my shoes to see what the current administration has done to the federal worker??? I was RIF in the last administration, Many lost there jobs. Were ware the unions? Voting the Clintons in, and supporting the loss of JOBS. All the unions have done the last eight years is undermine the federal worker and the current administration
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54267
There is only one thing more difficult than replacing an incumbent politician and that is replacing an incumbent union president. Term limits for all.
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54242
For the uneducated union bashers - union dues do not go to political candidates or causes - the members voluntarily contribute through a PAC.
I'm in a red state with many Republican members. They know we look at Federal employee issues only - it's tunnel vision.
Walk a mile in my shoes to see what the current administration has done to the federal worker - managers and employees. FLRA is a sham, pay for performance is a miserable failure, contracting out is out of control, and Emperor W fiddles as labor-management partnerships burn.
The public will be better served when employees can get back to customer service rather than fight for their jobs. Unions are the only voice for Federal workers.
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54222
It is time we stop only hearing the things that support our beliefs, and getting manipulated by baseless ____ on the internet. The old addage that Money is at the root of all evil still applies! It doesn't have a party. Remember Warrantless Wire Taps, the US Attorney firings, the Valerie Plame leak, Enron, the Mortgage Crises due to lack of regulations, and now the Banks being bailed out by the tax payers. Wake up folks!
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54218
It should be clear to readers that the Federal unions have long been in the tank for Democrat rhetoric and failed policies. That makes sense; more government spending could translate into more government jobs, and into more dues-paying union members. Objective readers also might notice and question the lack of balance in Government Executive's reporting, which - in my opinion - appears to have a similar liberal bias.
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54217
The Bargaining Table for Federal Employees is Congress. Pay, health benefits, retirement, contracting out, and a host of other issues are decided each year in Congress. Federal employees through their union's lobby to get the best results possible. One federal employees has a very small voice. A lagre union like AFGE which represents 600,000 federal employees has a large voice and is much more effective then the one voice. I have walked the Halls of Congress and lobbied on federal employee issues and when I presented myself as a local president many Republican Congressmen refused to even meet with me. I have studied the Congressional voting records and seen that the Repubican party as a whole have not supported federal employee worker issues. The unions have not turned from the Republican party, the Repubican party has turned it's back on workers in this Country. Half of my membership are republicans and I have certainly voted republican in the past but I can not and will not support politicians who don't support me and will not even listen or hear my issues. Currently the only party that returns my calls are Democrates and that is why currently they have earned my vote.
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54210
After reading the previous comments on this article I have something to say on behalf of all federal employees that feel the same way as I do, and it is addressed to every single person out there who dislikes the Unions for the reasons cited. Let me get this straight,...it's ok for the Republican good-old-boy network, starting with Reagan, to belittle and bash federal employees, cut or attempt to cut their benefits and cost of living increases at every opportunity, outsource federal jobs with no benefit to the public and portray federal employees as bureaucratic pain in the butts that make no contribution to society, but you expect the Unions, who are suppose to represent federal employees, to choose to back these same Republicans over Democrats when it comes time for an election?
Since you're so pro Republican, why don't you try going and asking your typical Republican for some fair and reasonable legislation favorable to federal employees or working class Americans? I think we both know how far you will get with that. However this task is what the Unions exist for; doing for many what no one can do for themselves. I don't expect you to understand or comprehend any of this because you have a narrow conservative tightrope you have to walk, and Unions have been designated as an enemy of the right, right?
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54209
It amazes me how ignorant some employees remain after suffering under this administrations attacks against the American worker that they can still actually support the demise of there own livelihoods and families futures. Thats quite the values you got there fellas!
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54201
Power to the unions! They work for the good of ALL federal employees.
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54199
Federal employee unions endorse strictly on federal employee issues. and which candidate has the most favorable voting record or position on those issues. The unions do not care about school choice, abortion, the war in Iraq, or tax policy. The fact that unions endorse more Democrats than Republicans is more reflectve of which party has respect for federal employees and which one demonstrates disdain for the important work we do.
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54198
Don't you just love it, John Gage, a super delegate and Union leader supports Obama. Am I missing something? When did the Union get out of bed with the democratic party and start running the damn thing? He(mr Gage) should not be allowed to use his office as a lobbist for the democratic party. We, the members are allowing this A-hole to push his and the democratic party adgenda on us members, the same people he has sworn to protect, Rather than look out for the members, Mr. Gage is looking out for number one. I for one (a Union member)think our Jr senator from Illinois is unprepared for the job and beleive his leadership lacks substance. I also think its time that the Union tighen its belt and get rid of people like Mr Gage and start representing all the members
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54193
Baaa Baa like sheep to the slaughter. I hope the union raises dues by $50 to cover inflation plus another $100 a month for democrat elections. That way the fleecing of the public servants will be complete
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54176
And you wonder why I will not join a union. 96 % of political donations to Democratic Party, I'm sure that the federal workforce is not 96% democratic leaning, that party doesn't reflect my beliefs or values. Maybe if they were not "politically active" maybe I would have joined. But since I have to watch what I place in my cube and how I talk at work maybe they should have to watch what they say and do also. And the "On politics" column that is so one sided I can't believe it gets around the Hatch Act.
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54168
I always new that Federal employees had their head in the sand and those Unions prove it. Taxes are going to go thru the roof with a liberal like Obama in there. He has 146 days experience in the Senate and is the most liberal Senator of all. Not good
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54162
Again, Federal employee unions have done a disservice to their memberships on two counts - first, to become in effect wholly owned subsidiaries of a major political party, with all the problems that causes for the Federal workforce from enhancing negative public perceptions of partisanship in the civil service workforce, and, second, the injustice to the many union members who do not agree with the union leaderships' political preferences (which, at the same time, is one major reason contributing to explain why so relatively few non-postal Federal workers in positions that are part of bargaining units choose to become union members). This is all about union leaderships' selfish desire for what they see as a means of personal aggrandizement, because they see it as a way for them to "play with the big political boys." In the meantime, the public is ill served by such shenanigans.
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