Home Media Center News Releases

Washington, D.C.—The leader of the nation’s largest independent union of federal workers today described Senate action in calling for parity in a 2002 pay increase for federal civilian employees and members of the military “a wise and welcome step.”

President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union took particular note of the efforts of Senators Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), John Warner (R-VA) and Pete Domenici (R-NM), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, in getting approval by the full Senate of a recommendation for continued pay parity in that body’s budget resolution for fiscal year 2002. The House previously adopted a similar recommendation.

“Inclusion of pay parity language is welcome recognition not just of the important work performed by federal employees,” Kelley said, “but of the real contest that government agencies are in with private sector employers to attract talented workers to government service.”

Sen. Domenici said the Senate’s budget resolution “assumed that the historic pay parity between civilian and military employees will be maintained, and that the President’s proposed 4.6 percent raise for military personnel will be similarly provided to all federal workers next year.”

As one of the leaders in the fight to maintain such pay parity, Sen. Sarbanes noted that “a talented federal and military workforce is critical to getting the work of the American people done skillfully and efficiently.” He said he was pleased that Congress “has recognized that we should not undermine the morale of these dedicated public servants” by failing to keep the civilian pay raise in line with that of the military.

Kelley, a long-time advocate of such pay parity, said that continuing the practice is one of the most important ways the federal government can attract and retain qualified public servants.

NTEU represents some 150,000 federal employees in 25 agencies and departments.