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Federal employees on average are paid nearly 31 percent less than their counterparts in the private sector, according to the latest report from the Federal Salary Council.
That disparity is one of the pieces of data that National President Tony Reardon, a council member, uses to advocate for increased pay raises for federal employees.
But a series of proposals from administration officials on the Salary Council could artificially and inaccurately skew the numbers to make the disparity appear smaller than it really is.
“I’m proud to serve on the Federal Salary Council, which normally takes a fact-based, statistical approach to analyzing federal salaries and how they compare to the private sector,” Reardon said. “But these proposals discussed at the Nov. 13 meeting are a radical departure from that standard and represent a threat to the salaries and full compensation of all federal employees.”
Reardon, as well as council members from two other federal employee unions, spoke out against the proposals, especially one that would include the value of benefits when comparing government and non-government compensation. First, the law requires the council to compare only salaries – not benefits. Second, Reardon believes this method is solely being advanced in order to justify the president’s proposed cuts to the retirement, health care, worker’s compensation and leave benefits for federal workers.
“The administration appointees on the council claimed they have no intention of reducing benefits, but they were appointed by the same White House that has already tried repeatedly to slash $149 billion from federal retirement,” Reardon said. “NTEU will strongly oppose any changes to the methodology used by the Federal Salary Council, and we will continue to protect federal pay and pensions from those who want to falsely claim they are somehow too generous.”
The Federal Salary Council’s report will include the views of the administration appointees on the council and the objections from NTEU and other federal unions. Any attempt to add benefits to the compensation analysis will require a change in the law, which NTEU would strongly oppose.
The administration’s announced pay freeze only serves to further exacerbate the existing pay gap, and NTEU’s focus is working with allies in Congress to ensure a pay adjustment for federal employees this January.