Attacking workforce rumors: union creates 'Truth Squad'

There’s a lot being said about the federal workforce these days, and some of it is not entirely accurate. Or at least, the American Federation of Government Employees doesn't think so. Now AFGE is trying to clear up the misinformation in a new “Truth Squad” blog.

“Federal workers are under attack,” the labor union wrote in the blog’s first entry. “Lawmakers looking to score points with voters are trying to scapegoat federal employees by going after our wages, our benefits and even our jobs.”

The entry continues by stating that the federal workers didn’t cause the nation’s economic woes. “For every lie that is spread about federal employees, you can count on the AFGE Truth Squad to set the facts straight,” the union concluded.

The most recent claim the blog addresses is the belief that federal workers are overpaid. “Private-sector employers earn 24% more than federal employees performing comparable jobs, according to objective salary surveys by the Bureau of Labor Statistics,” AFGE stated in the Feb. 9 entry.

A Feb. 5 entry dispels the notion that federal workers can’t be fired by pointing out that in fiscal 2009, 11,275 federal employees were fired for poor performance or misconduct, according to the Office of Personnel Management.

AFGE and other labor unions have expressed ardent opposition to the Obama administration’s implementation of a two-year pay freeze for federal civilian employees, as well as, Republican lawmakers’ legislative proposals to shrink the size of the federal workforce.

Earlier this week, AFGE led a rally to protest proposed cuts to the federal budget. The union estimated that more than 600 federal employees attended the event.