At Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania, white-collar employees are in the high-paying New York GS locality pay zone, but their blue-collar counterparts’ pay rates are based on wages in the Scranton area. That doesn’t make any sense as they face the same living costs and commute along the same routes. AFGE is working to change that, and we thank Sen. Bob Casey for pressing the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to end this morale-killing pay disparity.
Sen. Casey last week wrote to OPM demanding a quick resolution to the issue. No one is questioning the appropriateness of the Federal Salary Council’s designation of Tobyhanna within the New York City commuting area; it is a well-established observable fact, as described by census data. What is questioned is pretending that the blue collar workers at Tobyhanna work in a different location than the white collar workers there.
“OPM has been reviewing this issue for too long. It’s time for action,” Sen. Casey said.
AFGE supports legislation like the one introduced in 2013 by Rep. Matt Cartwright – the Locality Pay Equity Act, which would simplify and raise pay rates for all workers at Tobyhanna.