Ignorance or Indifference
There comes a point in time when reality sets in. Whether in real life or in our postal life. The title of this article is simple enough to understand but I will explain my purpose.
When I was first hired by the service in 1983 all I heard about was an upcoming vote on a new retirement package that was to replace the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). The new retirement system, FERS (Federal Employee Retirement System) was quite different from the CSRS. It now included social security as well as Thrift Saving Accounts. Some say it is better, while others, such as myself, think it is worse. That was not the real issue at the time. The new system stole the right of Civil Service annuitants to fully collect their social security when it came time to retire. This is called the Windfall Elimination. The Republicans in Congress did not want civil service employees to “double dip” by collecting a pension and their social security. The bottom line was that if you are/were in the civil service retirement system, most would only be allowed to collect 40% of their social Security. The unions were pushing hard to get members to contact their representatives in a push to take this language out. I remember it like it was yesterday. Yet many of my coworkers just shrugged it off. A few years ago, I received a call from one of my close friends. He was a civil service employee who had retired at age 56. He waited until he was 65 to collect his social security. His yearly SS Benefit notice told him he would be receiving approximately $960.00 per month. When he received his first check it was for approximately $450.00. He could not understand what had happened. I asked him if he remembered the Ronald Reagan years when FERS came to be. He did. I asked if he membered that the unions were asking for all its members to contact their congressional members to fight against the changes. He did. I then asked him if he called or wrote a letter to his political representatives as per the union’s request. He said no. When I asked why, he just said he did not think it would be a big deal and that he had years to go to retirement. He said he figured others would write and call. Well we see the results of that thinking. Each and every civil service retiree has lost tens of thousands of dollars in social security payments because of that thinking. It was a watershed moment for all federal employees and they dropped the ball.
Let’s move forward to today. There is a group of Republican members of Congress who want to destroy the USPS. Congressman Paul Ryan and his friends has been targeting the USPS and all federal workers for almost a decade. Most of you do not even follow to see how these people are looking to screw you. The new proposed budget looks to: Put a cap on how much money the USPS can spend to improve service; Subject the USPS to Federal shutdowns, increase employee contributions to the FERS which could result in a pay-cut of thousands of dollars a year for each and every FERS employee; End the Social Security Supplement that covers the gap in FERS benefits for those who retire before they are eligible; and Eliminate pensions for all new hires.
There is also a concern that cost of living (COLA) for FERS retirees will be wiped out and for those in CSRS to be greatly reduced. This idea is being pushed by the White House. Here we are at another watershed moment our career.
As I speak to both long time and new employees alike, nobody seems to be paying attention. Very few employees seem to understand what may happen to them if this legislation comes to fruition. How many FERS employees can take a possible 6% pay cut by having to pay more for their retirement benefits with no added benefit? How many FERS employees will be able to retire prior to 62 if the social security supplement is wiped out? How many CSRS employees can make it in retirement with a reduction to their annual COLA’s? How many FERS employees can make it with no COLA to keep up with inflation?
If you ignore the problems, it will just get worse. If you do not stand up, they will knock you down and step on your throat so you won’t ever have a voice. As I said at the start of this article, the old timers dropped the ball in 1983. They did not think it would impact them years down the road, yet they lost hundreds of millions in benefits over the years. Ask my friend what that is like.
If you are involved great! If you are not, do it now! Pay attention before it is too late. Make the call and give to the Carrier Political Fund. A couple of dollars a pay can go a long way to safeguard your future.
Whatever you decide, remember this:
Either your ignorance or your indifference will continue to add to the demise of all we have gained over the years. Your hard-earned benefits can and will be taken with the stroke of a pen. You will have nobody to blame but yourself!
