Federal Government Policy and Business

Senate Considers Cutting Retirement Benefits for Feds Working for Unions

Government Executive: The Senate is poised to vote on two measures aimed at curbing federal employees' ability to work on union representational issues while on the clock, offering a test for whether congressional Republicans can finally send such reforms to the president’s desk.

The more controversial measure, offered by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., as an amendment to the Senate’s annual defense authorization bill, would prevent employees from counting years where they worked at least 80 percent on union representational duties toward their retirement pensions. The bill would also prevent such employees from receiving bonuses. It would prohibit employees from engaging in any political activity, including lobbying, while on official time. The phrase “official time” would be replaced by “federal taxpayer-funded union time.”

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