AFGE Statement on Proposed Federal Employee Pay Raise

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Federation of Government Employees National President John Gage today issued the following statement in response to the Obama administration's proposed 0.5% federal employee pay raise for 2013:

"After freezing federal employee's salaries for two years, the Obama administration is proposing a minuscule half-percentage point increase in their wages next year. It's less than half of the 1.2% nationwide adjustment employees are entitled to next year under the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act, which was signed into law by the first President Bush in 1990. The proposal also effectively freezes locality pay for another year. The fact is, this increase is well below the rate of inflation of 3.6%, and will be wiped out by higher costs for health care, groceries and other essential needs.

"Federal employees aren't overpaid government bureaucrats. They are the aircraft mechanics and commissary workers at local military bases, the nurses at the local VA hospital, the men and women guarding our borders and the claims representatives who process Social Security and disability benefits. Especially in these tough economic times, we must ensure that all workers are provided with fair and meaningful wage increases to prevent them from falling further behind. I urge Congress to approve a meaningful pay raise that will allow these employees to provide for their families.

"Having said that, we're hopeful that this is a positive step that spells an end to the barrage of attacks on pay and benefits for working people and serves as an acknowledgment that attacking the jobs we have won't create the new jobs we need."

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 625,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.

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SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees