FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2002
March 22, 2002
Magda Lynn Seymour
Diane S. Witiak
(202) 639-6419
Diane S. Witiak
(202) 639-6419
Senate Follows House Lead; Approves Pay Parity
(WASHINGTON, D.C.)—Bobby L. Harnage, National President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), today issued the following statement in response to the Senate Budget Committee’s inclusion of pay parity language in its budget resolution:
“Recognizing the importance of continuing this long-established tradition, the Senate Budget Committee has included language in its budget resolution calling for pay parity between military and federal civilian employees.
“Pay comparability and economic stability are key factors in the effort to resolve the federal government’s human capital crisis. We can’t recruit and retain the best and brightest when federal pay and benefits continue to fall far below that offered by the private sector.
“President Bush is sending a message to young people considering federal employment. And the message is crystal clear—federal employment pays little, is dangerous to your health and is likely to mean the loss of your job to contractors in a few short years.
“AFGE commends Senator Sarbanes and members of the Senate Budget Committee for their support of pay parity.
“Whether guarding our borders from terrorists or safe guarding our food from profit-driven corporations, federal employees play a critical role in the quality of millions of Americans’ lives. They deserve better from their boss.”
The American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, is the largest union for government employees, representing 600,000 federal workers in the United States and overseas, as well as employees of the District of Columbia. Visit AFGE’s Web site—www.afge.org—to learn more about AFGE.
“Recognizing the importance of continuing this long-established tradition, the Senate Budget Committee has included language in its budget resolution calling for pay parity between military and federal civilian employees.
“Pay comparability and economic stability are key factors in the effort to resolve the federal government’s human capital crisis. We can’t recruit and retain the best and brightest when federal pay and benefits continue to fall far below that offered by the private sector.
“President Bush is sending a message to young people considering federal employment. And the message is crystal clear—federal employment pays little, is dangerous to your health and is likely to mean the loss of your job to contractors in a few short years.
“AFGE commends Senator Sarbanes and members of the Senate Budget Committee for their support of pay parity.
“Whether guarding our borders from terrorists or safe guarding our food from profit-driven corporations, federal employees play a critical role in the quality of millions of Americans’ lives. They deserve better from their boss.”
The American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, is the largest union for government employees, representing 600,000 federal workers in the United States and overseas, as well as employees of the District of Columbia. Visit AFGE’s Web site—www.afge.org—to learn more about AFGE.
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