House Hearing on Retirement Readiness

01/25/2012

 1/25/12: Today NTEU submitted testimony for a hearing before the Federal Workforce, US Postal Service and Labor Policy Subcommittee entitled, “Retirement Readiness:  Strengthening the Federal Pension System.”  Don’t be fooled by the title, though. The testimony may be found here.

In announcing the hearing, Subcommittee Chairman Dennis Ross (R-FL) referred to the American people’s outrage at the pension benefits guaranteed “to a bloated federal workforce” and pledged to seek a “more affordable defined contribution plan” for federal workers in place of CSRS or FERS. 

NTEU National President Colleen Kelley made it clear in her testimony that the systems already in place are well-designed and meet the goals for which they were created — attracting and retaining a highly skilled workforce to do the important work of the government.  She took the opportunity to reiterate that any negotiations on the payroll tax holiday extension should not include changes to federal compensation.  And she emphasized the fact that a defined benefit pension system is the only retirement plan that can guarantee a modest, secure retirement.