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Washington, D.C.-- Federal employees deserve more than the president’s proposed 3.1 percent pay increase in January 1999, according to the leader of the nation's largest independent federal union.

To be precise, National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) President Robert M. Tobias and the leaders of three other public sector unions maintain that President Clinton should announce a 5.8 percent January 1999 pay raise for federal workers. Late last week, they asked President Clinton for that increase in a letter.

"Such an increase would be a moderate but meaningful step towards equity and parit%.' according to the letter, which was co?signed by Tobias and the presidents of the American Federautm of Government Employees, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the National Federation of Federal Employees. "While a 5.8 percent increase reflects only half i)f what is required under [the Federal Employee Pay Comparability Act], it would be a clear signal ti, federal employees that our work is valued and appreciated by the nation we serve."

Higher pay has topped NTEU's agenda since February when Tobias participated in a Capi till Hill press conference with

several lawmakers, including Rep. Steny Hoyer (D?Md.) and Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D?Md.), to announce the introduction of legislation (H.R. 3251 and S. 1679) that would ensure administration compliance with the Federal Employee Pay Comparability Act of 1990, better known as FEPCA.

"According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, non?federal workers' wages and salaries rose 4 percent last year," the letter stated. "Recently, congressional Republicans have suggested a 3.6 percent raise for federal workers in 1999. But a raise of less than 4 percent would put federal employees further behind their private sector counterparts, rather than to begin to close the gap. We believe that fairness to federal workers demands a larger increase."

"I am hopeful that President Clinton understands that a higher pay raise for federal employees is important not only because they deserve it in light of the past pay and benefit sacrifices they have made during the budget deficit crisis, but also significant because it signals to them that the work they do for the nation is vital and essential," Tobias said.