Solidarity? Or not so much?

If recently proposed federal budget cuts sparked some heated comments from federal employee groups over the last few days, then the subsequent announcement of even deeper cuts likely will inflame things further.

After a bit of intra-party squabbling, Republicans on House Appropriations Committee now say they plan to increase 2011 budget cuts (in the upcoming continuing resolution to fund the rest of fiscal 2011) from a previously announced $74 billion to the $100 billion that members—especially new members—campaigned on last year.

In other words, the cuts will be one-third greater than the amount announced just days ago.

While a federal employee union’s march to Capitol Hill this week to protest the cuts was relatively modest, a thousand or less marchers, it was a demonstration of employee solidarity in the face of an impending fiscal squeeze—the effects of which (non-DoD and non-security) employees are bound to feel in the workplace. And as we’ve read in comments here many times: A smaller budget doesn’t mean a smaller work load.

Feds’ attitudes toward federal employee unions run the gamut, from good to bad to indifferent. But as the vise tightens, and feds feel even more targeted, might more of them look for a unified voice, as some did in D.C. this week?

What do you think?