AFGE Seeks $3 Billion for SSA, Reversing Leave Suspension After 8,000 Staff Loss

2 articles · Updated · Federal News Network · Aug 11

AFGE urged Congress to add $3 billion to SSA’s budget and hire 20,000 workers, saying backlogs and service delays have worsened as staffing has thinned.
Nearly 8,000 net employees have left since Trump took office, union officials said, leaving SSA at about 50,000 workers and forcing more than 2,000 staff onto the national 800 number.
The union also wants SSA to undo its July suspension of advanced annual and sick leave, arguing the policy will worsen burnout, recruitment and retention and is headed to grievance and arbitration.
SSA defended a digital-first 2027 budget that includes $1.9 billion for IT, saying service is improving with the right staffing levels, while AFGE questioned the agency’s metrics and called for a human-first approach.