Federal workers should be spared from cuts to salary, benefits and workforce sizes, a major federal employees union said Friday.
The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing federal workers, sent a letter to Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), co-chair of the Congressional super-committee charged proposing ways to reduce the deficit.
Many deficit reduction proposals include increases in pension contributions, cuts to retirement benefits, pay cuts and layoffs.
Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget proposal only allows the government to hire one worker for every three that leaves, cutting by 10 percent the federal workforce by 2014. Ryan’s plan also increased total contributions to retirement rise from 12 percent of salary to 18 percent.
“The hardworking and dedicated Americans who make up the federal workforce had no part in creating the budget problems that Congress is trying to address,†the letter said.
Click here to read the full letter.
