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Washington, D.C. – Federal employees in civilian agencies deserve the same 2.4 percent pay raise in 2018 as those in the military, according to a bipartisan letter to President Trump from 12 members of Congress.

“We feel strongly that federal employees are an asset to the federal government and deserve parity with respect to pay increases for the military and for civilian employees,” according to the Dec. 1 letter.

NTEU has a long record of supporting higher pay for military and non-military government employees.

“This letter is well-deserved recognition that the civilian workforce, often working alongside their counterparts in the military to deliver vital government services to Americans, deserve a decent raise next year,” said NTEU National President Tony Reardon.

The administration proposed a 1.4 percent across-the-board raise for federal employees in 2018, plus 0.5 percent in locality pay. Congress passed a National Defense Authorization Act that included a military-only raise of 2.4 percent.

The letter signed by seven Democrats and five Republicans urges the president to match the military raise for all federal workers.

“Over the last six years, federal employees have contributed nearly $200 billion to deficit reduction,” the letter states. “They have also had to endure pay freezes, lost salaries as a result of sequestration-related furloughs, and higher pension contributions.”

Economic forecasters predict that private sector wages will rise by an average of 3 percent next year. NTEU is on record supporting a 3.2 percent raise for federal workers in 2018.

The 12 members who signed the letter are: House Minority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.); Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-Va.); Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.); Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.); Rep. David McKinley (R-WV); Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.); Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Md.); Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md); Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.); Rep. Peter King (R-NY); Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.); and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.)

NTEU represents 150,000 employees at 31 federal agencies and departments.