AFGE Statement on President's Agency Consolidation Plan

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Federation of Government Employees National President John Gage today issued the following statement in response to President Obama's proposed consolidation of business and trade agencies:

"I welcome President Obama's decision to reinstate the Small Business Administration's status as a Cabinet-level agency – a position it held during the Clinton administration. This signifies the president's confidence in Administrator Karen Mills and the thousands of hard-working federal employees who serve America's small business owners.

"AFGE represents employees at four of the trade- and commerce-related agencies and offices that I understand would be consolidated under the Obama administration's plan. We represent 2,200 employees at SBA, nearly a hundred each at the Export-Import Bank and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and about two dozen at the Trade and Development Agency.

"We are eager to review the details of the president's consolidation plan and determine how it will impact the employees we represent and the services we deliver to the American people. I do take issue, however, with the notion that most of government is inefficient and that cutting federal workers will somehow solve the problem. Federal employees and supervisors are only carrying out the work that has been created by Congress and elected officials, who have mandated these various layers of bureaucracy largely for political gains."

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 625,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.

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SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees

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