AFGE presses administration to commit that federal jobs, pay are off the table in any budget or debt ceiling negotiations

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Federation of Government Employees National President J. David Cox Sr. today issued the following statement:

"I have made crystal clear to the administration that federal employees have already sacrificed more than enough to these serial, manufactured budget crises.

"After three years of frozen pay, unpaid furloughs, huge increases in retirement costs for new employees, and the threat of massive layoffs at the Department of Defense and elsewhere, Congress and the administration need to keep their hands off of federal employees once and for all.

"Our members' jobs, pay and benefits absolutely cannot be used again as a pointless gesture of goodwill, an olive branch, or bargaining chip to try to appease extremists. Federal employees must not be any part of any deal to end or reduce the sequester, fund the Affordable Care Act, or raise the debt ceiling. The administration must keep its promise not to negotiate with bullies, to stand firm in opposition to each and every attempt to freeze pay, cut federal retirement, cut Social Security benefits, or undermine health care of its own workforce.

"Fifty percent of our members may be locked out of work altogether during this shutdown; half will be expected to continue to work without a paycheck. One hundred percent want to go to work and provide services to the American people and a paycheck to support their families."

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 670,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.

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SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees