WASHINGTON – President Obama has named two American Federation of Government Employees representatives to the Federal Salary Council, which advises the White House and executive branch on federal pay issues.
J. David Cox, national secretary-treasurer, and Jacqueline Simon, public policy director, will represent AFGE on the nine-person panel. AFGE is the only employee organization to have two members on the council, reflecting AFGE’s unique role as the largest federal employee union.
The Federal Salary Council, established under Title 5 of the U.S. Code, provides the executive branch with recommendations on the locality pay program that was created in 1990 to help close the pay gap between federal and private-sector employees.
“AFGE is proud to have two members on the Federal Salary Council representing the interests of federal employees,” AFGE National President John Gage said. “Federal workers earn far less on average than their private sector counterparts – 24 percent less, according to the latest government data. The effort to close this pay gap is critically important if federal agencies expect to attract and retain the best and brightest employees that this country has to offer.”
J. David Cox has served as AFGE’s national secretary-treasurer since 2006, winning reelection by AFGE’s members in 2009. Previously, Cox served more than 11 years as first executive vice president of the AFGE National Veterans Affairs Council and 18 years as president of Local 1738. He also served as co-chair of the VA National Partnership Council and currently is vice co-chair of the AFL-CIO’s Union Veterans Council.
Jacqueline Simon is AFGE’s public policy director. In this role she is AFGE’s resident expert on a wide range of issues related to the federal government, particularly federal wages and benefits. Prior to joining AFGE, Simon was an economist at the Economic Policy Institute and an economist at the AFL-CIO. She has an ABD in Economics from American University.
###