CONSIDERING DEFENSE CUTS

Politicians worried about the impact of cutting thousands of Defense civilian jobs by 1995 have given the government until mid-March to comment on various incentives to get workers to leave or retire early.

The drive, led by Sens. David Pryor (D-Ark.) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), requires the Office of Personnel Management and the Pentagon to review the feasibility of: Providing severance pay to workers who quit. Offering early-retirement incentive bonuses. Paying workers who leave for unused sick leave. Eliminating the 2 percent-per-year pension penalty for workers who retire before age 55.

A growing number of politicians, including some who have been pushing defense cuts for the so-called "peace dividend," are now worried about what could happen to their states if the swords-into-plowshares movement goes too fast. A new Congressional Budget Office study shows the potential dark side of rapid cuts, citing 10 states -- including Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania -- where defense-related jobs in and out of government are critical to the economy. Nearly 90,000 of this area's 365,000 federal workers are with Defense agencies.

At a Thursday hearing, union leaders whacked Defense's priority placement program as being inflexible and unfair to civilians who stand to lose their jobs. The session, held before Pryor's federal services subcommittee of the Governmental Affairs Committee, drew Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell (D-Maine) as a concerned witness.

Defense has cut 87,000 civilian jobs in recent years through freezes and attrition. Most officials see no need for costly incentives like those Rep. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) has proposed to offer workers who retire immediately.

Many workers have delayed retirement in hopes that Uncle Sam will sweeten the pot. The Senate and House have ignored various "early out" plans for several years. But things could change quickly if politicians decide the defense reductions will add to economic and unemployment woes -- especially in an election year. Top Engineers

The National Society of Professional Engineers has honored 10 engineers for outstanding work. They are Hugh R. Carlon, Army Materiel Command; George E. Warren, Naval Facilities Engineering Command; Galen K. Brown, Agricultural Research Service; Hugh A. Curry, Soil Conservation Service; Lt. Col. Mark N. Goltz, Air Force Institute of Technology; Neill F. Parrett, Bureau of Reclamation; P.T. Kuo, Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Jonathan P. Deason, Interior Department; Robert J. Schwinghamer, NASA; and Paul R. Little, Naval Air Systems Command.Suburban Transit Subsidies

Maryland and Virginia transit systems are hoping to persuade more federal and private agencies to subsidize their employees' bus and rail fares. Check this space tomorrow for details.

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