Recently, President Barack Obama appointed NFFE National Secretary-Treasurer William D. Fenaughty to serve on the Federal Salary Council (FSC), an advisory body responsible for making recommendations on locality pay for workers under the General Schedule. A civil servant and union representative for nearly 35 years, Fenaughty brings a wealth of experience to the committee, which he intends to use for the benefit of the federal workforce.
“I am honored and proud to have been appointed to the FSC by President Obama as the NFFE Labor Representative,” said Fenaughty. “I look forward to working with the other Council members on behalf of federal employees.”
The advisory group is tasked with submitting recommendations on the locality pay program to the President’s Pay Agent. The FSC’s recommendations cover the establishment or modification of pay localities, the coverage of salary surveys (conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) used to set locality pay, the process for making pay comparisons, and the level of comparability payments that should be made. The FSC’s recommendations are advisory only and are not binding on the President. The President’s Pay Agent makes the final determination as to the establishment or disestablishment of locality pay areas and also makes the final recommendation to the President regarding the amount of the annual pay adjustment.
The FSC was established under the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990, which was signed into law by President George H.W Bush as a way to close the large pay gap between lower-paid federal workers and workers doing comparable work in the private sector. The committee is comprised of three labor relations experts and six federal union representatives, each appointed by the President.