e-Team Report, Dec. 11, 2013
Budget Alert!
The proposed federal budget deal has been released! The Federal-Postal Coalition was successful in beating back the proposed attack on our current members’ retirement. However, the “deal” includes an unfair tax levied on our future brother and sisters hired in 2014 and on our retired veterans. These actions are shameful and cannot be defended. I am asking all of you to contact your Central Labor Council and local veteran groups to set up protests and media press releases. If you need help with this please contact your Grassroots Coordinator.
Here are the details, the proposal includes:
- A 1.3 percent increase for new hires starting in January 2014. That's a 4.4 percent total increase for federal retirees given the 3.1 percent increase in retirement contributions from the 2012 Federal budget deal.
- A reduction of the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for military retirees by tying adjustments to the inflation rate minus one percent. Members of the military have already seen cuts from a reduced COLA for retirees under age 62.
Get active! Fight for our future and our veterans! Congress needs to know we will act!