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Washington, D.C.—President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) today applauded approval by the House Budget Committee of a “sense of the House” resolution calling for pay parity between federal civilian employees and members of the military. The resolution was approved on an amendment offered by Rep. James Moran (D-VA).

“Everyone who has taken a good look at federal personnel issues in coming years has concluded that higher pay for federal workers is key to recruiting and retaining the quality employees the public deserves and expects,” Kelley said. “Civilian pay parity with the military, as has been the case for most of the past 20 years, is essential to achieving that.”

In its preliminary budget information, the Bush administration has said it will propose a 4.6 percent pay increase for members of the military in 2002, but has told civilian agencies to use 3.6 percent as a planning figure for a pay increase for their employees in the coming year.

NTEU has made a fair pay raise for federal employees one of its legislative priorities in the 107th Congress. “There is no reason to discontinue military-civilian pay parity,” Kelley said, “and every good reason to continue it.”

She noted, in particular, that over the next few years, fully 53 percent of federal civilian employees will be eligible for either early or regular retirement. “The higher pay available to federal employees in the private sector continues to lure experienced, skilled people away from government service,” Kelley said. “Failure to continue military-civilian pay parity would aggravate a situation that already endangers the ability of agencies to provide quality service to the American people.”