FMA and the Power of Advocacy
The Federal Managers Association (FMA) is hosting its annual national convention and management training seminar in Alexandria, Virginia, March 29 through April 1. The centerpiece of the event is the “Day on the Hill,” when FMA members will meet with members of Congress and their staffs to discuss issues important to their installation, their agency, and to FMA.
FMA members often rank the Day on the Hill as their favorite part of their convention experience, as they get an opportunity to walk the halls of Congress, educate and learn, and play a direct role in getting legislation passed. And it is imperative that federal employees have a voice and feel empowered to express their opinions and talk about how proposed policies affect both their daily lives and the services they provide to the American people. These visits can and do make a difference.
Are you a Department of Defense manager who opposed the 2014 cuts to long-term TDY per diems? FMA and our members were there, sharing stories on Capitol Hill about how the cuts impacted their lives and their work, and that helped achieve the congressional action to block the cuts. Are you a federal employee who serves in the National Guard or the reserves? Thanks to efforts on hill days, legislators voted to give you the option to enroll in Tricare Reserve Select if you choose.
In recent years, FMA members have taken to the Hill to urge Congress to allow Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) employees to make deposits for non-deduction federal service performed, in the same manner as Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) employees and former military personnel. Their work is having an effect. In the 115th Congress, when legislation addressing this issue was first introduced, it gained 17 cosponsors. Current legislation, The Federal Retirement Fairness Act (H.R. 2478), has nearly 60 cosponsors.
This year, in addition to building support for H.R. 2478, FMA members will advocate for protecting retirement benefits, meaningful hiring reforms, extending the probationary period, removing pay caps to alleviate salary compression, and much more.
The federal pay ceiling cap has not kept up with the higher cost of living in many cities across the United States. This impacts many managers and technical employees across the country whose salaries are currently compressed and the issue will only get worse if it is not addressed. Policies that enable pay compression over several years cause demoralization and lead to widespread dissatisfaction. FMA asks Congress introduce legislation to address this issue to improve recruitment and retention. The time to deal with the problem is now, before it grows exponentially and it is too difficult to stem the tide.
These are just some of the issues FMA will fight for in 2020. If these or other issues are important to you, consider joining us at our convention in Alexandria later this month. You can learn more about it by clicking on this link. And while the Day on the Hill is an exciting time, you can make a difference as an FMA member throughout the year, sending action letters, visiting with legislators and their staffs in their district offices, and networking with other managers. If you are a frontline manager – or aspire to management – and want to help in these efforts, just click here to join FMA.
The views reflected in this column are those of FMA and do not necessarily represent the views of FEDmanager. To learn more about the Federal Managers Association (FMA), visit their website: FedManagers.org.