DFAS employees in Rome will be affected by sequestration
-->By: Jennifer Lee
Updated: February 25, 2013
Our Congress has less than a week to take action or there will be automatic spending cuts, better known as a sequestration.
These cuts are a way to handle the national debt. The spending cuts will affect defense and domestic spending programs.
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service or DFAS in Rome is one of many agencies putting a plan together if congress does not take action.
March 1st is the deadline for congress to pass a short-term deal that puts off the sequestration cuts.
If no deal is reached, officials say over $1 trillion will be cut off to government agencies over ten years, including DFAS in Rome.
Each agency affected will have to come up with a plan to handle the cuts.
"DFAS employees are going to lose 176 hours over 22 days," explained AFGE Council President, Edward Abounader.
Abounader says their plan is to opt into a furlough, meaning hours will be cut without pay.
"It's very difficult given the fact that 90 percent of our employees are technicians. It will have an immense economic impact on the community, the employees and their families," said Abounader.
Starting April 23rd through September 30th, each employee from the director all the way to the maintenance staff will lose about 20 percent of their pay, which translates to a two day deduction per pay period.
The budget cuts can potentially affect the 950 employees at DFAS.
Abounader says they will resume further discussions regarding their plans on Wednesday.
