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A New Way Forward

There is no question that organized labor in this country is under attack. These attacks have come at the very core of what it means to be a union – our right to collectively bargain. What started in Madison, Wisconsin has spread across this country as state and national politicians seek to vilify labor as the cause of their fiscal woes and make us pay through stripping our rights to bargain on behalf of the working men and women we represent.

This is the landscape we find ourselves in: one in which we must continue to build membership and work for change, or have our rights trampled. The easy path would be for us to become discouraged, hang our heads, and give up. But that is not what we are about, and that is not who we are. That is not our proud history.

At this moment in time, when the very worth and dignity in being an American worker is being called into question, we must continue to build membership and organize the unorganized. Our union’s very survival depends on our ability to grow and mentor future leaders. If we are unable or unwilling to grow, we will soon be out of business.

NFFE’s new Organizing and Recruiting Strategic Plan recognizes NFFE’s need to move from reacting to change to acting on change. To accomplish this will necessitate a fundamental shift in our thinking, requiring us to move from a “servicing model” to an “organizing model.” This is not about emphasizing building membership at the expense of servicing our members; it is about building highly-functioning locals, effective local leaders, and engaged members. It is fundamentally about gaining power for workers.

Building, supporting, and sustaining effective locals and councils is the only way we can be successful at building membership on a continuing basis. Collectively we all have a personal responsibility for the success or failure of our union.

Change will not happen overnight. But we must commit to begin this change if we are to sustain this union. Working together, this is our chance to build something greater than ourselves, and continue NFFE’s proud legacy of working for America every day.

William R. Dougan

With Defense Bill Passed, FERS Employees to Receive Retirement Credit for Unused Sick Leave

Friday, October 30, 2009

(National Federation of Federal Employees)

This week, President Obama signed the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act. While a full repeal of the National Security Personnel System (NSPS) dominated headlines, one largely underreported aspect of the bill – and arguably one of the most important for federal employees throughout the civil service – was a provision extending credit for accrued sick leave to federal workers enrolled in the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS).

Under the new law, FERS employees will receive a boost to their retirement annuity based on the amount of sick leave they have saved over the course of their federal careers. Like their counterparts in the Civil Service Retirement System, covered employees will have their accrued leave factored in their annuity calculation upon retirement.

Here’s how it works. Once an employee becomes eligible to retire, their accrued sick leave will be credited toward his/her years and months of service. For example, before the benefit was signed into law, if a federal employee worked for the federal government for 30 years, earning a high three of $70,000 and garnering 6 months of sick leave, his/her retirement annuity would be 1.0% x 30 x 70,000, or $21,000 per year.

With this new benefit included, the same employee would have their annuity calculated 1.0% x 30.5 x 70,000 or $21,350 for the year. That’s an extra $29.17 cents in his/her pocket every month upon retirement.

There is a catch, however, but only in the short term. Though the sick leave benefit will go into effect immediately, it will not do so in its fullest capacity. There will be a four-year phase in period during which retiring FERS employees will receive only half credit for their unused sick leave. Federal employees can expect to retire with the full benefit on or after January 1, 2014.

“We are very pleased that FERS employees will finally be given credit for their unused sick time,” said NFFE Legislative Director Randy Erwin. “Establishing this good government benefit has been a top priority for NFFE. Now our retirees are going to have a little more money in their pocket because they were dutiful in their service and rarely used sick time. They earned that benefit, and now they will get something for it.”

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