The nation’s two top federal worker unions, the Government Employees (AFGE) and the Treasury Employees (NTEU), call Democratic President Joe Biden’s proposed 4.1% across-the-board raise next year for the nation’s two million federal workers good—but not good enough. Both unions and others support legislation introduced early this calendar year by Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., and Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, for an across-the-board 5.1% hike.
“The 4.6% pay raise by President Biden will represent the largest pay adjustment for federal employees in 20 years,” said AFGE President Dr. Everett Kelley on September 1. “However, in order to bring federal salaries close to market rates and compensate for the recent surge in inflation, more must be done.” Kelley’s 4.6% figure includes 0.5% hikes in “locality pay” for high-cost areas, The locality pay hikes do not cover all federal workers, 85% of whom live and work outside the metropolitan Washington-Baltimore-Virginia area.