FMA CALLS ON PRESIDENT TO ESTABLISH PAY PARITY IN FISCAL YEAR 2011 BUDGET REQUEST - January 28, 2010

Parity policy recognizes contributions of nation’s civil service.

Alexandria, VA - The Federal Managers Association (FMA) urges the Administration to support the principle of pay parity in the average annual pay increases between federal civilian employees and members of the uniformed services for 2011. FMA strongly supports pay parity between the two groups to recognize the invaluable contributions of both parties to the nation's welfare and security.

In his Fiscal Year 2010 Budget for the United States Government, the President maintained the injudicious precedent set by the previous administration by recommending disparate average annual pay raises for federal civilian employees and military personnel, favoring a higher pay increase for the Armed Forces. Consequently, the Administration and Congress broke over two decades of legislative precedent by providing members of the Armed Forces and civil servants with disparate pay raises this year.

In a letter delivered to the Administration last week, FMA National President Darryl Perkinson remarked, “The President’s aggressive agenda to redirect the nation on the path to prosperity places immense responsibility on members of the civil service. From managing and executing many of the Administration’s bold initiatives to restore America’s financial security to serving alongside their Armed Forces counterparts on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, today’s federal workforce wears many hats in the effort to provide the American public with the programs and services they expect and deserve.”

“It is essential that the federal government continues to recruit and retain the best and the brightest civil service to advance the President’s commitment to providing the taxpaying public with an efficient and productive federal workforce,” Perkinson continued. “Disparate pay raises do not help that cause.”

Key members of the congressional leadership have stated their intentions to provide pay parity in 2011 during the appropriations process, and FMA urges the President to support the principle in his budget as well. As the public-private pay gap for comparable occupations continues to stand at roughly 26 percent according to the Federal Salary Council, FMA encourages the Administration to propose a pay increase that affords civil servants and members of the military an appropriate financial adjustment to close the gap, as dictated by law.

“Federal employees are on the cutting-edge of disease research and efforts to develop alternative energy sources,” concluded Perkinson. “Civil servants also take the helm on many social programs that deliver needed services to millions of Americans. Their service to America deserves recognition.”