President Colleen M. Kelley was critical of a proposed 1 percent pay increase for federal employees that will be included in the administration’s budget blueprint due out next month.
“I strongly believe that federal employees deserve more and this amount is inadequate,” Kelley said, adding that NTEU believes a 3.3 percent pay raise is a fair and reasonable amount. This week, during the union’s legislative conference, NTEU members will be visiting their members of Congress to make that case.
Federal workers have done more than their fair share to reduce the federal deficit, contributing $138 billion toward deficit reduction over 10 years from the pay freeze and from higher pension contributions from new federal hires. The continuing policy of sequestration is preventing the investments necessary for the good of the nation including investing in federal workers, said President Kelley.
NTEU is pleased to see the end of the pay freeze but believes federal employee pay must begin catching up.