A FEW Priorities
They may be FEW, but they claim more than 100 chapters in the country.
The Federally Employed Women want the president-elect to know they are not too few to have their voices heard, so they sent him a letter Monday informing him of their issues. In fact, Barack Obama already has been supportive of their agenda. As a senator, he scored 100 percent on the organization’s congressional scorecard.
FEW determined its priorities by surveying its members.
“While FEW will continue working on all of these issues next year, this survey gave us some insight as to which ones our members felt were most important,” said Cecelia Davis, the organization’s vice president for congressional relations.
Among the group’s priorities:
- Passing the Equal Rights Amendment
- Compensating federal employees for unused sick leave
- Correcting two Social Security provisions, the government pension offset and windfall elimination provision, “that have a disproportionate and adverse impact on women covered under the Civil Service Retirement Service.”
- Easing restrictions on rehiring federal retirees
- Passing legislation that would improve diversity in the Senior Executive Service
- Securing four to eight weeks paid parental leave upon the birth or adoption of a child.
-Joe Davidson
By
Terri Rupar
|
December 2, 2008; 12:08 PM ET
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Posted by: ellajeannichols | December 3, 2008 12:26 PM | Report abuse
Thank you for comments regarding FEW's congressional priorities. I recently retired with over 34 years of government service. My main concern is correcting the two social security provisions that have an adverse effect on CSRS retirees like myself. Because I am a government retiree I cannot collect spousal social security. My husband is also a government worker but he also worked in private industry for over 30 years. His social security benefits will be cut by 50%, even though he and his employers paid the full amounts into social security, just because he will receive a government pension. We should not be penalized because we worked in the public sector for the Department of Defense, ensuring our warfighters had the equipment and supplies they required.
Posted by: Patnvin | December 3, 2008 3:00 PM | Report abuse
It is good to see FEW highlighted. I would like to let you know that the WEP and GPO are near and dear to my heart. I am covered by Civil Service Retirement System. Upon retirement this becomes a problem, why is it a problem? It is a problem because I worked 16 years in the private sector for which I will not be able to collect my full social security retirement benefit because I chose to work for the federal government. I also have a husband who worked in the private sector. If he should proceed me in death I will not be eligible for a full widows pension - why - because I chose to work for the federal government. Because my husbands SS retirement is the bulk of his retirement income it will greatly reduce my income if he were no longer with me. these rules were put in place to save social security but they are hurting more and more women. Women are still being paid less than me and women are still living longer than men. Unfortunately they will be the ones to suffer this injustice in their golden years. NOW IS THE TIME TO RIGHT THIS UNFAIR ACT By Repealling the WEP and GPO.
Posted by: fewc347 | December 7, 2008 11:33 PM | Report abuse
How exciting to see FEW in the Federal Diary spotlight in this history-making era! I've been a member for 25 years and have seen the waves of positive change that can be accomplished when a group of thoughtful citizens work together. I have worked hard on FEW's issues on the local and national levels and have hope that the the 111th Congress and the Obama Administration will work with us to ensure that we eliminate discrimination in federal service and pass legislation that will truly make the federal government a model employer and much sought after career source for America.
Posted by: fedsrock | December 9, 2008 9:36 AM | Report abuse
The comments to this entry are closed.
Thanks for highlighting those issues important to federal employees - men and women.
We also are pleased to soon have a presidency that recognizes the contributions that the federal employee makes every day. We are proud of our service to our country and contributions that we make to our customers. We know that ultimately the American public is our customer, whether we serve them directly or their sons and daughters in uniform, serving their country too.