On Friday, President Trump froze pay rates for the civilian federal work force, canceling their automatic 2.1 percent raise for 2019. It’s the right decision, notwithstanding the howls of union bosses and Democrats. And it’s far more consequential than the mere delay of workers’ paychecks during the shutdown.
Federal workers already collect bigger salaries, on average, than workers in the private economy doing comparable jobs. Their benefits packages are also on average 47 percent fatter, according to the Congressional Budget Office. They get up to 49 paid days off a year. And firing them is often impossible.
Then, at age 55, if they’ve put in 30 years, they get a gold-plated retirement package almost unheard of in private enterprise, including defined benefits that protect them from inflation.
In short, federal employees are riding the gravy train, and the rest of us working stiffs who pay the taxes to support the federal government are taken for a ride.
No wonder Trump is applying the brakes. In his 2018 State of the Union speech, the president promised to “reward good workers,” who are the vast majority, and “remove federal employees who undermine the public trust.”
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That's the problem with unions,the bum makes the same amount as the good worker and if you can't get rid of the bum then you really have a problem.
ReplyDeleteOh no, it's the righteous anti-union commenter again. Without Unions corporate america would have you working for pennies an hour. Just look at what the kock brothers did for Seaford DE & everywhere else they choose to buy a well oiled machine
DeleteNice article from the Post of all places
ReplyDeleteDon't feel sorry for them ....they get Big Pay & benefits ...more than the rest of us do ...Quit Winning I say !!!
ReplyDeleteThey should have plenty in Savings to get them through !!!! LOL . If not , see Suzy Orman !!!
You know for sure that they're the same as most every other American when it comes to savings and spending, i.e., barely anything in the bank and having ridiculous credit card balances that don't get paid off. Apologies to the few who do have some money in the bank and pay their cards off every month.
ReplyDeleteNot all federal employees are in credit card debt. Not all federal employees make a lot of money. I entered the Government when that's all that was available coming from a poor coal mining town. I was raised to believe hard work will get you ahead. Not so in the Government today. Minorities are favored - not people from poor coal mining towns.
ReplyDeleteLet's see how long it takes for a federal worker to quit and join the private work sector. I bet hell will freeze over first, pay or no pay.
ReplyDeleteFederal workers will work with no pay forever before they give up their Cadillac benefits. Working for "nothing" will still get them to a lifetime pension, just for showing up. That's way better than the private sector.
ReplyDelete