Wednesday, January 31, 2017
Washington, D.C. – Today, National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) National President Randy Erwin expressed strong support for the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act, introduced by Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), which would give federal workers a 2 percent adjustment to their base pay and a 1.2 percent average increase to their locality pay in 2018.
“NFFE strongly supports the FAIR Act, and we thank Representative Connolly for his continuing commitment to enable the federal government to attract and maintain an effective and productive workforce,” stated Erwin. “Federal workers have suffered through multi-year pay freezes, sequester cuts, furloughs and more, and they are still paid on average 34% less than their private sector colleagues.”
The FAIR Act provides a reasonable pay increase to help the government maintain its competitiveness in the employment market where it serves as a major employer of women, minorities, veterans and the disabled. The FAIR Act serves also as an economic engine for state and local economies, which have endured downturns along with depressed federal wages.
“With 85% of the federal workforce living outside of the Washington, D.C. area, the FAIR Act is extremely important to local communities, including small businesses and the housing market,” Erwin continued. “This is not just about federal workers. This is about stabilizing the shrinking middle class which is vital for the success of the country as a whole.”