FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Matt Dorsey
(202) 550-6987
October 8, 2024
Washington, D.C. – Today, the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) applauds a proposed regulation drafted by the Office of Personnel Management that would ensure Federal Wage System (FWS) employees are included in locality pay increases that General Schedule (GS) workers receive in the same locations. The rule is based on a recommendation from the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee (FPRAC), a national labor-management committee of which NFFE-IAM is a member.
“Under current policy, there are significant and unjust pay gaps between federal employees in the Federal Wage System and those on the General Schedule,” said NFFE National President Randy Erwin. “The issue stems from outdated FWS wage area boundaries, which were mostly drawn shortly after World War II, reflecting the locations of military installations at the time. However, GS locality boundaries are up to date and more accurate according to commuting rates and other job market considerations.”
“It is fundamentally unfair that federal employees working side-by-side, for the same employer, and in the same place, are paid differently when it comes to locality pay,” continued Erwin. “This issue affects many NFFE members, and it creates problems with the recruitment and retention of FWS employees. It is time to end these pay inequities once and for all. Thank you to Senator Casey and Acting Director Shriver for their leadership on this issue.”