Well John a real solution is for union members to pay for a larger share of their benefits that will save 1000's of union jobs if that is your real goal. But knowing the unions the answer is we need More and more

So, I don't pay enough as it is? I love the haters. My co workers and I, as with most federal "professional employees", work more hours and get paid less than our "private sector" counterparts. Feel free to compare apples to apples anytime. How much more should we have to give and give just to please people that are hating us because they are unfortunately out of a job or they lost their house because they got into something they couldn't afford. That is not our fault. The down economy is not our fault. None of this was happening when things were going good for people. I didn't hear them say..." lets give the federal workers a fair deal". Oh no, it was more like.." if you want to make more, you shouldn't be working for the government. My my, how things turn around. Now we make too much and are a bunch of fat cats. If you are jealous that you are not in the federal system, by all means APPLY. Keep in mind though, most of the jobs, you have to have experience and be certified in already. It is true that unions can hurt you and they can help you. It depends on the fight you want to pick. Most locals that I know of and the one that I am in, do not use it as a tool to threaten with. Keep in mind, most people know someone who has been or is in a union. Be careful when you throw stones at glass houses. You might just hit a family member. Bottom line....when things were going good, us "overpaid, over benefitted" government workers were not calling for the private sector to pay more for benefits and work more hours and get paid less. We didn't call for your company to get downsized, so you would lose your job. Noone should be without a job and a quality of life that they desire. Its called working for it and being happy that you have what you have.

so where are these great benefits that we fed workers get? We pay 30% contribution to our health care, and believe me my co-pays are much higher than state and local public employees. We do not get dental, eye care, cosmetic. I am happy to have health beneits for my family but they are NORMAL only, and about retirement, lets do the math. I am right in the middle of the fed pay system, a GS-9 employee. I will retire with 24 years of service at 62 years old and my monthly fed retirement will be 1600 per month. Take out my health care and life insurance that I will pay and now I will receive 1200 per month. That is for 24 years or service, quite reasonable to the taxpayers. I went to college Full Time nights while working a private sector job and QUALIFIED for my position that I proudly work hard at every day.
I am happy to have a job but please don't slam me and my coworkers just cause we have a job. Maybe in the top end of the govt the pensions may be overboard, but us in the middle and just normal folks providing a valuable service to the taxpayers. I too went without a job a while back and for a substantial amount of time BUT on a DAILY basis I PROSPECTED for employment and once hired continued to KEEP LOOKING to IMPROVE MYSELF. It isnt govts job to EMPLOY ME. It is MY RESPONSIBILITY to realize that I am on my own and my JOB to find work and then improve off that.
Also bear in mind the retirement system of the fed govt is based on 40 hours per week, so please dont think that you can pad your retirement with overtime to increase it. That dont happen with the feds, but it does in your local govt that you are footing the bill with through your property taxes. GO AFTER THEM