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Washington D.C. – Federal employees are relieved that Congress has reached a temporary agreement to avoid a government shutdown on Oct. 1, but lawmakers should use the next eight weeks to pass legislation that gives federal agencies the resources they need to carry out their missions, NTEU National President Tony Reardon said.

The House and Senate have approved a Continuing Resolution that maintains fiscal year 2019 funding levels through Nov. 21, and the president is expected to sign it into law.

“A continuing resolution is better than a shutdown, but federal employees and their agencies need regular full-year appropriations to provide some stability to their budgeting and adequate funding increases to meet new challenges,” Reardon said.

NTEU will be urging Congress to pass full-year appropriations as well as a 3.1 percent average pay increase that includes a 0.5 percent adjustment to locality pay, and much-needed protections for collective bargaining rights in the federal sector.

NTEU represents 150,000 employees at 33 federal agencies and departments.