GovernmentExecutive.com

The House voted Thursday to approve a 3.1 percent average pay increase for white-collar civilian federal workers next year.

The pay raise measure was included in the fiscal 2006 appropriations legislation covering the Transportation and Treasury departments and other federal agencies. The bill (H.R. 3058) passed on a 405-18 vote.

The legislation would ensure that civilian workers would receive the same pay increase as military service members. The Bush administration had proposed a 2.3 percent increase for civilians in 2006.

The Senate is likely to follow the House's lead in approving the 3.1 percent increase when it takes up the Transportation-Treasury measure.

The White House, however, issued a statement Wednesday objecting to the raise. The 3.1 percent increase would exceed President Bush's proposal by about $1 billion. By applying the raise across government, Congress would limit the Homeland Security and Defense departments' ability to "design and implement a modern personnel and pay system that best fits their needs," OMB stated.

"Any recruitment or retention problems facing the government are limited to a few areas and occupations, and do not warrant such an arbitrary across-the-board increase," the policy statement argued.

National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen M. Kelley issued a statement supporting the House action. "Approval of the 3.1 percent pay raise clearly shows that the House understands the value of the work that federal employees do every day," she said, "something the administration does not seem willing to acknowledge."

COMMENTS

• I’m currently in Iraq working as a contractor and I can tell you first hand that a large portion of the logistical and maintenance side of the military is straight out of basic training/AIT. Military personal work four to eight and sometimes 10 hours a day, four to five days a week, whereas a civilian works 12 hours a day seven days a week for a year straight. If we didn't deserve the money we make then we probably shouldn't have been able to bid on a contract. The fact that we produce a better productivity rate with exceeding the standards of the U.S. Military means we're doing our part. Do yours! Will Hayward Posted August 12, 2006 9:47 PM
• You want pay parity. Take away the lifetime health benefits for retired military that go to work in the private sector or civil service! These guys go to work for government contractors the day they retire and cost far less than a private sector civilian because they do not need health benefits or good retirement. Thus, the continuous flow of retired military into government contractor positions allows the contractor to hold the costs lower than would normally occur because they can provide far less in benefits and attract people that the military think provide good contract personnel to support their desires. This does not lower the cost to the public because the people not hired and those hired that are not retired military go without health benefits of the same level they otherwise would have and probably lower salaries. This means the government has to provide greated medical coverage and gains less income taxes for those people. Government gives up more than it gains but they do not look beyond the initial impact. The A76 process compounds this distrortion of the markets even more because it gives government contractors with retired military a significant advantage when competed with civilian operations within the government. For example, DFAS should be totally civgilian, DLA should be totally civilian, the Air Force civil engineering unit should not exist except for the battle ready units in red horse, the Army Corp should not handle public waterways and remain in the Corp., the military should almost totally be comprised of battle field personnel and close in support but not the total logistic system. civil service Posted July 12, 2005 7:41 AM
• Personally, I feel that the military deserves every cent we can give them and more for what they do for this country. Where would we be without their sacrifices? Believe me, some of the housing and other "bennies" they get are truly substandard. And, politicians work everyday to try to find new ways to cuts those bennies so they can enrich themselves and their supporters. But, Military Officer, civilians in Iraq and elsewhere are also working 14-16 hours a day, 7 days a week, living in austere conditions, subject to death (without weapons to defend themselves) to support these men and women. And, they do not get the tax break that the military (deservedly) gets, and that contractors (undeservedly) get. Been there, seen that. GovExec.com reader Posted July 13, 2005 9:34 AM