NTEU Celebrates Public Service Recognition Week

NTEU represents federal employees at 31 agencies, and the depth and breadth of their contributions, as well as their commitment to their missions and our country is staggering.

Each and every day, NTEU members are hard at work defending our homeland, protecting our borders, ensuring the safety of our natural resources, health, food supply, financial systems and much more. They print our nation’s money, promote a healthier America and a nation in which no one goes hungry, and collect the taxes that make all of this possible. And that is only the beginning.

Many Americans are not aware of the depth and breadth of the federal workforce and the vital contributions federal workers make to nearly every aspect of our lives. What's worse, dedicated and hardworking federal employees have been a consistent target for some members of Congress. On the heels of a three-year pay freeze, federal employees are facing unpaid furlough days due to sequestration, cuts to retirement benefits, dwindling agency resources and growing workloads. And the attacks keep on coming.

This is a critical time to raise awareness about the importance of our federal workforce and the public services we all rely on. That is why NTEU proudly supports Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW), from May 5 to 11. More

Survey Highlights Sequester's Toll on Federal Workers

While sequestration will undercut seriously the ability of federal agencies to serve the public, that is only part of the severe human toll it will take on dedicated middle class federal employees.

An NTEU survey of its members facing the likelihood of unpaid furloughs even as their pay remains frozen for more than two years reveals grave concerns about making ends meet, going further into debt, delaying medical treatment, facing difficulty in paying for child care, school tuition and other educational expenses. More than 2,200 NTEU members answered the survey.

The NTEU survey showed some of the effects on federal agencies of reduced budgets in recent years: two-thirds said they see a hiring freeze; nearly eight in 10 said employees who leave are not being replaced; 48 percent said critical work is not getting done, while another 68 percent said their agency lacks the resources to complete their missions properly.

As for personal consequences, the survey revealed that because of the ongoing pay freeze, nearly three in four respondents have had to cut back on necessities; two-thirds are having trouble making ends meet; 60 percent are getting further into debt; nearly 30 percent have had to seek loans or assistance to pay their bills; and four in ten said they have delayed medical treatment to save money. Read more and get the NTEU survey results.