A6
Politics & The Nation workers from A1
taxes, deficits and debt.” That might sound like stan-
dard rhetoric from small-govern- ment Republicans. But at a time of staggering fiscal problems, Democrats, who have counted public-employee unions among their most stalwart allies, also are taking a noticeably tougher line. New York Governor-elect An-
drew Cuomo is girding for battle there, warning that state employ- ee salaries and benefits are un- sustainable at a time when the state has a $9 billion deficit. Relative job security with gen-
erous benefits that extend into retirement has long been part of the appeal of working for the government. But an eight-hour day in a drab Independence Ave- nue office building can look like a supremely privileged lifestyle when Americans in the private sector are panicked and furious over what has happened to their ownsalaries, health coverage and 401 (k)s. Add to that the growing view
that the government has gotten too big and that deficits are going to swallow the economy, and you have all the makings of a back- lash. Three-quarters of those who
were surveyed in an October Washington Post poll said they believe federal workers get better pay and benefits than people do- ing similar jobs outside the gov- ernment, and 52 percent said government employees are over- paid. When the NBC/Wall Street
Journal poll this month sampled public opinion on the major pro- posals that were put forward by the president’s deficit and debt reduction commission, the most popular by far—and the only one deemed “totally acceptable” by a majority of respondents — was freezing the salaries of federal employees and members of Con- gress for three years. Officials of public employee
unions say they have felt political wrath before, but that this time, it feels different. “The extent and the depth of it
is new. This is a concerted, deep attack on public employees and
Is the grass greener for federal workers? In 2009, the average annual total compensation of federal civilian workers was higher than that of their counterparts in the private sector and state and local government. But two important factors are that many federal workers are older and highly educated.
Average total compensation Per employee, all professions and education levels
Private sector $61,051
State and local government
EZ SU
KLMNO
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2010 Sounding a note of class warfare in bleak times, some politicians
public workers,” said Gerald W. McEntee, president of the 1.6-mil- lion-member American Federa- tion of State, County andMunici- pal Employees. “The problem in theeconomy has not been created by public workers. It was created by Wall Street, and this political sleight of hand will do nothing to solve the problem.” Nor do he and others in labor
see it as a coincidence that all of this is happening at a moment when, for the first time in history,
a majority of union members work for the government rather than the private sector, where labor membership has plummet- ed.
“The balancing of the budget
gives them an opportunity that they have seized upon to weaken the public-sector unions, because the public-sector unions are the heart and pulse of the American labor movement,”McEntee said. But there remains the ques- tion: Are government workers in
fact getting a cushier deal than everyone else? As with so many other things,
the answer to that depends on how you dice the numbers—and on who is doing the dicing. Much repeated by Republicans
is an August review of Bureau of Economic Analysis data by USA Today. It showed that the average salary and benefits of federal em- ployees had grown faster than that of private employees for nine years running, to the point where
federal compensation had reached $123,049 in 2009—more than twice the level of the average private-sector worker. Other research suggests that
once you adjust the numbers for the fact that government workers tend to be older, more educated and more experienced, they show that public employees don’t do all that well in comparison. Also complicating theequation
is the fact that while government salaries are often lower than
those in the private sector, bene- fits are often better. The nonpartisan National In-
stitute on Retirement Security found that, on average, total com- pensation is 6.8 percent less for state employees and 7.4 percent less for local employees than for comparable non-government workers. Still others, including Andrew
Biggs of the conservative Ameri- can Enterprise Institute, have countered that the real bonanza
SHOP 7AM-MIDNIGHT TUESDAY&WEDNESDAY. HOURS MAYVARYBYSTORE.
VISITMACYS.COMANDCLICKONSTORES FORLOCAL INFORMATION.
SALE
Only at Macy’s. Charter Club V-necks (★WebID 497597), crewnecks and more in solid colors and patterns. For misses.
39.99 CASHMERE Orig*. $99.
CLEARANCE EXTRA 50% OFF
For atotal savings of 75%-85%. Orig.*
$29-$299. Final cost 3.63-74.75. Tops, pants, sweaters, jackets, more. For misses and petites. Women’s prices slightly higher.
60% OFF
Reg. 29-$50. Sale 11.60-19.60. Only at Macy’s. Sweaters from Style&Co., Charter Club and Karen Scott. For misses and petites. Women’s prices slightly higher.
6O%OFF SWEATERS
Reg. $99-$169. Sale 39.60-67.60. Only at Macy’s. Coats from Alfani and Style&Co. in our Sportswear dept. For misses and petites. Shown: ★WebID509326 Women’s prices slightly higher.
60% OFF
SUPER BUY 32.99
Reg. $44. Levi’s® 512™Perfectly Slimming jeans in straight or bootcut styles. For misses and petites. Women’s prices slightly higher.
ONE THE LAST
SALE 19.99
Reg. $40-$55. Only at Macy’s. Velour jackets and
pants from
$69,913
Charter Club and Style&Co. Sport. Cotton/ polyester. For misses&petites. Women’s prices slightly higher.
50%OFF
Federal civilian government
$123,049
Age distribution* All professions and education levels
Private
16% 12 8
4 0
18-24 years 35-39 50-54 65+
*Full-time, year-round employees. Federal is civilian workforce excluding U.S. Postal Service. State and local workers excluded from both groups.
Education level Private
28%
20 24
16 12
8
4 0
Master’s degree
College degree
Some college
High school
SOURCES: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Office of Management and Budget Current Population Survey, 2009
THE WASHINGTON POST 30%-50%OFF Federal
Reg. $20-$28. Sale $10-19.60. Only at Macy’s. Slippers for her from Charter Club and Style&Co.
50%-75%OFF
Orig.* $18-$248. Sale 4.50-$124. Clearance handbags.
BOOTS&SHOES 5O%OFF Federal
60% OFF
Reg. $44-$68. Sale 17.60-27.20 August Silk &Elementz tops in detailed& layered looks. For misses &petites. Women’s prices slightly higher.
DAY SALE
BEFORECHRISTMAS
Reg. $32-$42. Sale $16-$21. Select mufflers, gloves, hats and more for her.
40% OFF
50% OFF
Reg. $18-$198. Sale 10.80- 118.80. Only at Macy’s. Giani Bernini and Style&Co. handbags, wallets wristlets and more.
Reg. $49-$120. Sale 24.50-$60. Boots and shoes for her from Easy Spirit, Naturalizer,GbyGuess, Roxy, RocketDog and more. 6-10M.
REG. &ORIG. PRICES ARE OFFERING PRICES, AND SAVINGS MAY NOT BE BASED ON ACTUAL SALES. SOME ORIG. PRICES NOT IN EFFECT DURING THEPAST 90 DAYS. ONE DAY SALE PRICES IN EFFECT 12/21 &12/22/10. MERCHANDISE WILL BE ON SALE AT THESE AND OTHER SALE PRICES NOW THROUGH 1/8/11, EXCEPT AS NOTED. *Intermediate price reductions may have been taken. Orig. items will remain at advertised prices after event and are available while supplies last. Extrasavings are takenoff already-reducedsaleprices; “final cost”pricesreflect extra savings. Some coats will remain on sale after event. Advertisedmerchandisemaynot be carriedatyour localMacy’sand selectionmay vary by store. Prices and merchandise may differ at
macys.com. For store locations&hours, log on to
macys.com
Macy’s credit card is available subject to credit approval; new account savings valid the day your account is opened and the next day; excludes services, select licensed departments, gift cards, restaurants, gourmet food and wine. On furniture, mattresses and rugs/floor coverings, the new account savings is limited to $100; application must qualify for immediate approval to receive extra savings; employees not eligible.
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