FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 11, 2024
March 11, 2024
Contact:
Tim Kauffman
202-639-6405/202-374-6491
[email protected]
AFGE Reacts to President Biden’s FY 2025 Budget Proposal
Categories:
Pay, Budget, White House
Nation’s largest federal employee union says proposed raise will do little to close widening pay gap between federal and private-sector workers
WASHINGTON – American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley today issued the following statement in response to the release of President Biden’s fiscal 2025 proposed budget:
“We applaud President Biden for taking steps in his proposed budget to ensure corporations and the ultra-wealthy are paying their fair share in taxes, to extend the solvency of Medicare, and to increase budgets for critical federal programs.
“However, we are extremely disappointed in the way this budget turns its back on the longstanding practice of pay raise parity for civilian and military employees of the federal government. A 4.5% increase for civilian workers, as requested for our colleagues in the military, would reflect the Employment Cost Index (ECI) and would at least be a nod toward compliance with the Federal Employee Pay Comparability Act (FEPCA).
“Civilian federal workers right now are working for 27.5% less than their private-sector counterparts. A paltry, 2% raise for civilian federal employees will do very little to close that widening gap. While we are happy to see steps taken to address pay compression, these efforts simply nibble around the edges of a much larger issue with federal pay.
“Ultimately, until we are able to address lagging pay for federal workers, other efforts to recruit, hire, and retain top talent will never be successful because of the albatross of low pay.”
###
For the latest AFGE news and information, visit the AFGE Media Center.
Follow us on:
