New Year, New Opportunities
This past year was a time of great progress and achievement for NFFE and its members. We have seen vast improvements in our organizing, stepped up our communications and secured a series of significant legislative victories.
Now, with 2010 in full swing, we are looking to build on these successes and bring our union to even greater heights. In this spirit, I would like to share with you some of the many priorities that NFFE will pursue as 2010 continues to unfold.
In the early days of this year, we announced the formation of the Federal Workers Alliance (FWA), a coalition of 21 unions representing federal workers. FWA members will work together in solidarity to promote favorable legislation and personnel policies for the more than 300,000 combined federal employees it represents. Working side by side with our union brothers and sisters on these matters benefits us all.
Another important relationship we are looking to cultivate is that between labor and management at the many agencies we represent. We intend to play a very active role in the formation of new agency partnership councils. Our goal is to build a strong foundation for robust and productive dialogue to take place between workers and their managers.
We have an ambitious legislative agenda for 2010. Among our numerous legislative priorities this year, we hope to secure pay parity between military and civilian employees, establish a paid parental leave benefit, and to obtain the benefits that many temporary federal employees are denied.
Lastly, NFFE will continue to focus on organizing and engaging new members. With the new Organizing Strategic Plan in motion, we are committing significant time and resources to growing our union. By year's end we anticipate greater growth in members than we experienced in 2009.
With your help, I am looking forward to making 2010 the best year ever to be a NFFE member.
William R. Dougan
NFFE Supports Bill Extending Locality Pay to Federal Workers in Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. Territories
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Washington,
DC - The
National Federation of Federal Employees
(NFFE), a national union representing 100,000
federal government workers, endorses the
Non-Foreign Area Retirement Equity Act (S.
507), a bill to ensure pay and retirement
equity for federal employees in Alaska, Hawaii,
and the U.S. territories, by transitioning them
into the federal locality pay
system.
Under the current system,
federal employees working outside of the
contiguous 48 states receive yearly cost of
living adjustments while their mainland
counterparts receive locality pay. Whereas
locality pay is factored in when calculating
one’s retirement annuity, COLA payments are
left out of the equation. The result of this
discrepancy is a significantly lower ‘high 3,’
and thus, retirement annuity, for employees
working in Alaska, Hawaii, or a U.S. territory,
than that enjoyed by employees in identical
positions working within the contiguous 48
states.
“Workers in these areas
are at a distinct disadvantage in being left
out of the locality pay system, particularly
when it comes to retirement,” said Richard N.
Brown, National President of the National
Federation of Federal Employees. “This
legislation will finally give these workers the
same pay and benefits as their colleagues in
the mainland U.S. These workers have waited
long enough for fair
treatment.”
As a result of this
discrepancy, federal employees working outside
of the contiguous 48 states often seek to
transfer to a locality pay area late in their
careers. This makes it difficult for federal
facilities in COLA areas to recruit and retain
employees.
“It is ridiculous for
federal workers who have spent their careers in
these locations, to have to seek transfers to
locality pay areas in the sunset of their
careers just so they can get a fair
retirement,” said Brown. “It is unfair to the
employees, and it is a huge burden on federal
agencies that are forced to replace their
fleeing talent. This legislation fixes it once
and for all. It’s a win-win for
everyone.”
