POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE. EIGHTY-FOURTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON S. 2875 A BILL TO REVISE THE CIVIL SERVICE RETIREMENT ACT OF MAY 29, 1930, AS AMENDED FEBRUARY 1, 8, 9, AND MARCH 14, 1956 Printed for the use of the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service 56-61007 75735 UNITED STATES WASHINGTON: 1956 R.V. S. 14 My 56 JK 7.75 1986 A54 CONTENTS Ballew, Hulon L., representing Columbia Typographical Union, Bartlett, Hon. E. L., Delegate of Alaska... Beiter, Alfred F., legislative representative of the National Associa- Bledsoe, Warren B., president, National Association of Rural Letter Brooks, Capt. Charles B., Jr., secretary to the Academic Board, United Campbell, James A., president of the American Federation of Govern- 176 193 Cobb, James B., president, National Alliance of Postal Employees-- Darr, Thurman, National Association of Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Dorson, C. L., secretary-treasurer, Retirement Federation of Civil Service Employees of the United States Government, accompanied by Arthur F. Aebersold, administrative assistant.. George, Leo E., president of the National Federation of Post Office Gravitt, C. B., Jr., secretary and legislative representative of the National League of Postmasters of the United States___ Hallbeck, E. C., legislative director, National Federation of Post Keating, Jerome J., vice president of the National Association of Lample, C. M., president, Federal Retirement Protective Association; accompanied by Leon B. Lent, executive secretary, and William P. Lasseter, Dillard B., executive officer, Organization of Professional Employees of the United States Department of Agriculture, Wash- Lovelady, Rufus M., national vice president, American Federation of McAvoy, Harold, national president, National Association of Post Office and Postal Transportation Service Mail Handlers, Watch- 113 McDermott, Mrs. Elmerdeen, Washington, D. C--- 177 Puskar, Charles E., executive secretary, National Association of Post- 165 Schottland, Hon. Charles I., Commissioner of Social Security, De- partment of Health, Education, and Welfare-- Spriggs, Lawrence, Washington, D. C- Stark, J. E., director, United States Retirement Benefits Association____ Stephens, Russell M., president, American Federation of Technical En- gineers, affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and Con- gress of Industrial Organizations, presented by Edward Coughlin__ Swygert, John D., secretary of the National Association of Postal Taylor, Marvin J., president of chapter No. 72, National Association of Retired Civil Employees, of Charleston, S. C....... Thomas, Joseph F., president of the United National Association of Post Office Clerks; accompanied by Joseph Sylvestry, national Thomas, William M., president, National Postal Transport Association, Tyson, William S., counsel for Local No. 30, Panama Canal Pilots, CIVIL SERVICE RETIREMENT WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1956 UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON THE POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE, CIVIL SERVICE SUBCOMMITTEE, Washington, D. C. Met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a. m., Hon W. Kerr Scott (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Senators Scott (presiding), Langer and Case. Staff members present: H. W. Brawley, executive director, and J. Don Kerlin, assistant staff director. Senator SCOTT. The meeting will please come to order. We are opening the hearings this morning on S. 2875, a bill introduced on January 9, by Senator Olin D. Johnston, to revise the Civil Service Retirement Act. The civil service retirement and disability program was established in 1920 to furnish retirement, death, and disability benefits to employees of the Federal Government. Since that time the act has been amended many times until today it is one of the most complex measures on the statute books. The present law is difficult to administer, numerous inequities have developed and grown over the years, and full understanding of the law escapes all except the few who work with it on a full-time basis. In recognition of these facts, the 82d Congress enacted Public Law 555-approved July 16, 1952-authorizing the establishment in the Executive Branch of a Committee on Retirement Policy for Federal Personnel to conduct an exhaustive study of this matter that is of such grave importance to well over 2 million Federal employees, and report thereon to the Congress. The report of that committee was submitted during the first session of the 84th Congress. Since that time the report and a multitude of related material has been the subject of long and careful study. Senator Johnston has introduced S. 2875 to accomplish a complete overhaul of the Civil Service Retirement Act. The bill will: 1. Provide a more favorable factor for the computation of retirement benefits for employees generally. 2. Permit optional retirement after 30 years of service regardless of age. 3. Reduce the penalty-or reduction-in annuities in the case of employees who are under the age of 60 at the time of retirement. 4. Extend and increase survivorship benefits to more closely parallel those that accrue to employees of private industry under the socialsecurity program, and, finally, 5. Remove numerous inequities now existing in a number of areas. 1 |