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Washington, D.C.—Bipartisan congressional approval of a 4.1 percent pay raise for federal civilian employees in 2004, while unnecessarily belated, is “a welcome sign” that members of Congress understand and respect the value of federal workers, the leader of the nation’s largest independent union of federal employees said today.

The pay raise is contained in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill.

Colleen M. Kelley, President of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), also praised the Bi-Partisan Washington, D.C. Regional Delegation, a group of House members led by Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), who sent a letter to the president encouraging him to “embrace the principle of pay parity” in his fiscal year 2005 budget. The letter was signed by Reps. Hoyer, Thomas M. Davis, III, (R-Va.), James P. Moran, Jr. (D-Va.), Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.), Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Albert R. Wynn (D-Md.), Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.), and C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.). “Rather than a partisan issue, pay parity is an important recognition by the country’s leaders of the sacrifices we continue to ask of our federal workers every day,” the letter said. “Just as military 4.1 Percent Pay Raise—Page Two employees are fighting to maintain our freedoms and security, civilian employees are on the front lines protecting our freedoms here at home.”

“I hope the president embraces the bipartisan spirit of the Washington, D.C. Regional Delegation,” said Kelley, “and sends a message to federal employees for fiscal year 2005 that he does indeed value the vital contributions they make to this country every day.”

The 4.1 percent raise, which is retroactive to the first full pay period in January, is more than double the 2.0 percent increase put in place by the administration earlier this year. The need for a two-part raise this year mirrored the circumstances of a year-ago, when Congress acted to increase by a full percentage point the civilian pay raise authorized by President Bush.

“The president could have – and should have – put the 4.1 percent pay raise in place administratively before now,” President Kelley said. “There has been bipartisan support in Congress for the 4.1 percent pay raise throughout the year.”

“Instead, federal salaries for fiscal year 2004 have to be calculated twice at great expense to taxpayers,” Kelley said, “and federal employees are left to wonder if their contributions are valued by the current administration.”

NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing some 150,000 employees in 29 agencies and departments.

For more information, visit the NTEU web site at www.nteu.org