Social Security workers protesting on Wednesday across the U.S. against threatened budget cuts!

[Better Believe It]

Social Security offices across U.S. to protest cuts
By Lisa Rein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 1, 2011

While tensions continue in Wisconsin and at statehouses elsewhere over Republican efforts to restrict union rights and reduce state workers' pay, demonstrations are planned at 75 Social Security offices from Rhode Island to Montana over a House Republican plan to cut $1.7 billion from the Social Security Administration's $11.4 billion budget.

Obama's plan, proposed last month, seeks $12.7 billion for the Social Security Administration for the next fiscal year, an increase over current levels. But union leaders - expect Republicans to aggressively seek more cuts this year and next - said they have no guarantees the Social Security agency won't ultimately be hit hard regardless of any compromise. They are preparing for the worst.

Social Security workers plan to hand out fliers Tuesday and carry signs that read "No furloughs" and "No budget cuts" during a staggered midday lunch period and to tell the public what they think would happen if the Republican plan - or a smaller version of it - were to be enacted: furloughs lasting from one to three weeks for the agency's 70,000 workers and what the union is calling drastic cuts in service.

Union officials say that delivery of Social Security checks would take longer, claims for disability benefits would not be processed and phone lines would be clogged. "Public service would be devastated," Duggins said. Even if the House and Senate "split the difference" and enact fewer spending cuts, "you're still looking at furlough days and less service," Duggins said.

Please read the full article at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/28/AR2011022806314.html

The Strengthen Social Security coalition, Alliance for Retired Americans and American Federation of Government Employees along with other groups are supporting the potests. You can see and download their PDF format flyer at:

http://strengthensocialsecurity.org/sites/default/files/March%202%20Flyer%20Final.pdf

[mmonk]

1. Go get 'em.

[leftstreet]

2. K&R

[sasha031]

3. Rec

[pacalo]

4. Note on the bottom of the flyer says workers can't distribute these during duty time

or use government copying materials.

They need our help!

[1776Forever]

5. If you have never had to contact SS for anything thank your lucky stars - they are swamped!

President Obama was trying to get the more help but now it looks like they will be lucky to keep the workers they have!

K&R

[Better Believe It]

6. Picketers Set to Protest GOP Social Security Disability Cuts

Picketers Set to Protest GOP Social Security Disability Cuts
March 1, 2011

On Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011, Social Security Disability advocates and Social Security Administration employees will join together to picket in protest of the $1.7 billion reduction in SSA funding proposed by House Republicans. If this proposal is attached to the new Continuing Resolution, reports The Times Leader, SSA workers will face a month of furloughs – significantly impacting the already-beleaguered Social Security Disability process.

Disability Group Inc., a national Social Security Disability law firm, wants to make Social Security claimants aware of upcoming protests by Social Security Disability advocates and Social Security Administration workers. Lisa Rein of the Washington Post reports that protests and informational pickets are scheduled to occur on Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011 at federal buildings across the country. The protests will target the $1.7 billion reduction in SSA funding proposed by House Republicans.

If this proposal is attached to the new Continuing Resolution, the SSA – already suffering from a loss of 3500 jobs this year, according to the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader – must enforce a month of furloughs upon its employees. Disability Group Inc. advises that a furlough of this magnitude would significantly impact the already-beleaguered Social Security Disability process. Should offices close and employees be forced to leave their jobs, “public service will be devastated,” says Dana Duggins of the American Federation of Government Employees.

Some of the devastating effects of the SSA furloughs would directly impact people currently receiving disability benefits. There will be 32,000 fewer continuing disability reviews (read more about continuing disability reviews here http://www.socialsecuritylaw.com/blog/?p=107), resulting hundreds of thousands of incorrect payment and millions of wasted dollars.

http://www.benzinga.com/press-releases/11/03/p895743/picketers-set-to-protest-gop-social-security-disability-cuts

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. Chickenshit Repugs don't dare attack our checks directly,

instead they defund the check processing system, sounds like.

[mysuzuki2]

8. I just retired from SS last month

does anyone know if and where any protests will be held in Milwaukee?

[Honeycombe8]

9. That will weaken the effect of the Wisconsin protests, I think.

Protest fatigue. After awhile, people yawn and change the channel. Which is what the GOP is hoping for.

[Better Believe It]

10. What is this "protest fatigue"? This must be some newly discovered form of illness.

I don't recall seeing this illness strike during earlier protests organized by the labor, civil rights, anti-war, women's rights, gay rights and other mass movements.

I do remember a few participants in those protests who whined about demonstrating "again". They insisted on instant gratification after just a few protests, a knockout in the first round of a 15 round fight.

They were early "burnouts" who tired easily.

[Honeycombe8]

11. I'm not talking about the protestors. I'm talking about the watchers...

that's what the protests are mainly about, isn't it? Just guessing that people will grow tired of watching more protests, as time goes on.

There was Egypt, then Iran, then Libya, then Wisconsin. Now there'll be Social Sec. workers (which I think people will differentiate from Wisconsin public union protests...different laws and different "meanies").

Maybe they won't. But I think maybe so. Just like anything else, you get desensitized to a thing.

[Better Believe It]

16. Well, I hope they have tired of "tea party" protests even more.

And when people who are getting more and more angry with their declining lifestyle see others protesting injustice they just might think that perhaps they should join protests on their issues.

Making protests a popular democratic action is a good thing.

The problem we had before was that not enough people were protesting.

[UTUSN]

12. K&R #14, where's my local?!1 n/t

[Historic NY]

13. Somebody better tell the teaclangers their checks will be slower in coming.

[alltherage]

14. Yep!

I posted the press release two days ago! Protest is at noon. All the media have been contacted!

[alltherage]

15. Press Release

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
LOCAL 2006 - AFL-CIO
P O BOX 16527, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19123 - [phone]

Beverly Wilmer Joseph Ponisciak
President Executive Vice-President




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: KEVIN PARKS, UNION REPRESENTATIVE, AFGE LOCAL 2006
PHONE: [phone]
EMAIL: [e-mail]
DATE: February 28, 2011


MARCH 2, 2011
INFORMATIONAL PICKET – 11:45 AM – 12:30 PM
3RD & SPRING GARDEN STREET, PHILADELPHIA , PA


Philadelphia, PA – Thousands of Social Security workers are worried about how they will provide service to the public. If a current proposal by the House of Representatives becomes part of the Continuing Resolution (CR) on March 4, 2011.

Social Security workers will protest the proposed budget cuts which would lead to reduced operations and services to the public, on March 2, 2011, from 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM at
300 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA.

“These cuts will punish Americans who count on Social Security and Medicare by adding to backlogs and limiting assistance for our seniors, the disabled and families that have lost a parent or spouse. To effectively dock a month’s pay of the dedicated Social Security workers adds insult to injury and further hurts our communities and economy,” said Agatha Joseph, President of Council 109, American Federation of Government Employees.

-----------------

Join AFGE activists and coalition allies in front of Social Security offices across the country this Wednesday, March 2, as we protest budget cuts that could furlough up to 50,000 federal and state employees and cut more than 3.500 staff.

http://strengthensocialsecurity.org/social-security-keep-it-working">Click here to find a location near you.

House Republicans have proposed a $1.7 billion reduction in SSA funding for the remainder of FY 2011. If this proposal is included in any of the Continuing Resolutions (CR) for FY 2011 that Congress will soon vote on – short term or long term -- the budget cuts would lead to a month of furloughs at the Social Security Administration. And, millions of Americans filing for retirement and disability benefits will wait longer for their benefits. Backlogs could reach record levels.

In protest of these proposed cuts, thousands of Social Security workers and our coalition allies from Strengthen Social Security and the Alliance for Retired Americans will be protesting across the country to stop the assault on Social Security’s ability to serve the American public. .

Events will start at noon. http://strengthensocialsecurity.org/social-security-keep-it-working">Click here to find a location near you.

Thanks for all that you are doing to Fight Back!


John Gage
AFGE National President

-----------------

FACT SHEET

What the House Proposed Cuts Mean – Shutting Down Social Security Offices for a Month
SSA is already operating under a partial hiring freeze because of the current continuing resolution which is likely to result in nearly 3,500 lost jobs for 2011. These additional cuts could lead to SSA offices closing their doors, which means stoppage of all claims processing and unanswered phones for about one month – one month out of the seven remaining in 2011. If Social Security shuts down for a month:

400,000 people would not have their retirement, survivors and Medicare applications
processed this year, resulting in a large backlog of unprocessed retirement and
survivor claims for the first time in SSA history.

290,000 people would not have their initial disability benefit applications processed,
which means disabled workers, who already wait months for their applications to be
processed, will wait an average of 30 days or longer.

70,000 fewer people will get a disability appeals hearing this year, which means
workers waiting to present an appeal to a judge, who already wait over a year, will
wait longer.

32,000 fewer continuing disability reviews, which means wasting millions of dollars
on improper payments now.