Bill Would Increase Federal Employee Wages by 3.6%

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-Virginia) reintroduced the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019.

The bill would provide federal employees with a 3.6% pay increase in 2020. Sens. Schatz and Connolly introduced similar legislation last Congress.

“The shutdown was insult on top of injury,” said Sen. Schatz. “For years, federal workers in Hawai‘i and across the country have watched their earnings get cut as a result of sequestration and a freeze on pay. Then they had to suffer through the longest government shutdown in history. It’s time to do right by federal workers. Our bill would help give these public servants the raise they deserve.”

Last week, the House passed legislation introduced by Connolly that would provide federal employees a 2.6 percent pay increase for the remainder of 2019. Sen. Schatz is a cosponsor of the Senate companion.

“AFGE thanks Congressman Connolly and Sen. Schatz for their leadership in introducing the FAIR Act,” said American Federation of Government Employees National President J. David Cox. “From the shutdown to union-busting executive orders to his efforts to freeze salaries, federal employees have taken a beating. It’s time to show them that America appreciates their hard work and dedication and nothing says that more clearly than a decent pay raise. The 3.6% is well-deserved and our nation can well afford it.”

“Sadly, the shutdown clearly demonstrated that most federal employees cannot go without a single paycheck without defaulting on loans or even worse, heading to food lines to feed their families,” said Randy Erwin, National Federation of Federal Employees national president. “Working families are suffering in the federal sector. I cannot imagine how much more families are suffering in the private sector,”

“Rep. Connolly’s and Sen. Schatz’s legislation to provide frontline federal workers a 3.6% pay raise in 2020 is a smart step towards helping the federal government compete with the private sector for talented employees,” said National Treasury Employees Union President Tony Reardon. “Federal employees have endured several years of pay freezes and raises too small to keep up with the cost of living. NTEU strongly endorses their bill as a way to help the federal government close the wage gap with the private sector and recruit and retain the highly skilled workers our country needs.”

Text of the legislation is available here.