AFGE Statement on Federal Salary Council Meeting Addressing Policies that Will Take Effect in January 2014

(WASHINGTON) The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) today issued the following statement on the Oct. 19, 2012 Federal Salary Council meeting addressing policies that will take effect in January 2014.

The Council voted to recommend the addition of twelve new localities for which the pay gap, as measured by Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, has been at least an average of 10% higher than the gap in the Rest of U.S. locality over the past four years. The Council also reiterated its support for changing the criteria for drawing pay locality boundaries in ways that emphasize commuting rates. All Council members agree that commuting rates are what define a local labor market, and that these data are the best way to understand regional pay. The Council also unanimously voted to ask BLS to restore the portion of the National Compensation Survey that was devoted exclusively to matching federal jobs with those in the private sector and state and local government.

Federal employees have sacrificed enough and paid their more than enough fair share in reducing the federal deficit, said AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. The pay freeze imposed on federal employees must end immediately. Our public servants cannot afford another day of frozen wages.

Cox introduced a motion that would add new criteria for areas of application for localities. The Council adopted his motion unanimously. The Cox motion addresses the unusual situation of counties that are surrounded on all sides by non-RUS localities, and those that border counties within non-RUS localities on all sides but one. The motion would affect Los Almos, New Mexico and Berkshire County, Massachusetts.

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The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 670,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia. For the latest AFGE news and information, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.