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Washington, D.C.—The decision by House-Senate conferees to include in the fiscal 2007 Defense Authorization bill a meager raise of only 2.2 percent for U.S. service personnel sharply undercuts the contributions of members of the military and their families, the head of the nation’s largest independent union of federal workers said today.

“A 2.2 percent pay increase—the smallest for our military in more than a decade—is a shameful decision during a time of war,” said an outraged President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasure Employees Union (NTEU).”

In their report, House-Senate conferees on the military spending bill rejected the House-approved 2.7 percent raise for service personnel contained in that body’s version of the Defense Authorization bill.

“NTEU has long supported military-civilian pay parity,” Kelley said, “and we do so again this year, particularly in light of this proposed outrage against those fighting a war under extraordinarily difficult conditions, and against their families who give so much in the way of support.”

She added: “Shortchanging them in this fashion is just wrong. I would have expected and hoped for much better leadership from Congress on this important issue.”

President Kelley noted that in its version of the 2007 Transportation-Treasury Appropriations bill, the House of Representatives provided a 2.7 percent raise for federal civilian workers. This action came on the heels of earlier House approval of a 2.7 percent increase for members of the military in the Defense authorization bill. The Senate Appropriations Committee also provided a 2.7 percent civilian raise. The full Senate has yet to take up the measure.

The NTEU leader said the union, at both the national and grassroots levels, will join with other groups to seek a higher raise for members of the military. “It should not be necessary to call attention to the enormous sacrifices our men and women in uniform are making, and to their right to a fair pay raise,” she said. “But apparently it is, and we’ll be aggressive in doing just that.”

As the largest independent federal union, NTEU represents some 150,000 federal workers in 30 agencies and departments.