Sep 3, 2010

Commissioner's Message For Labor Day

From: Commissioner Broadcast
Sent: Fri 9/3/2010 2:19 PM
To: Undisclosed recipients
Subject: COMMISSIONER'S BROADCAST--09/03/10

A Message To All SSA [Social Security Administration] And DDS [Disability Determination Services] Employees

Subject: Labor Day

I want to wish you a safe and happy Labor Day, a holiday that is our national tribute to the contributions of American workers to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. In this year of so much economic stress, you have had to step up your efforts, so you deserve this tribute even more than in past years.

As a group, our DDS colleagues have had the most difficult year; many of them have been subjected to across-the-board furloughs by governors and state legislators. We recently submitted legislation to Congress that would fix that problem, and I urge all of you - not just DDS employees - to use every opportunity you have to educate Members of Congress and their staffs about the unnecessary trauma furloughs cause for our DDS employees and the citizens they serve. For more information about this legislation, go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pressoffice/pr/furlough-legislation-pr.htm.

I also want to congratulate Jim Hill, who has been our national NTEU [National Treasury Employees Union] representative for many years. He will soon be sworn-in as an administrative law judge for the new Akron hearing office, and I am confident that he will bring to the bench the same passion, civility, and judgment he brought to his service as a labor leader.

I was particularly pleased to hear this week that, despite the pressures brought on by our increased workloads, we remain one of the Top Ten Best Places to Work in the Federal Government for the third consecutive time, and received our highest ranking ever. Thank you for all you do to make SSA a great place to work.

Again, have a safe and happy Labor Day.

Michael J. Astrue

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