In the News

Today, Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) reintroduced the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act, legislation that would provide federal workers with a 3.2% pay raise.

“For too long Republicans have bullied our federal workforce, falsely painting the civil servant as the scapegoat for all our country's problems,” said Congressman Gerry Connolly. “They’ve endured shutdowns and furloughs, attacks on pay and benefits, and an across-the-board hiring freeze. Their hard work was questioned. Now, thanks to the Armageddon Rule, even individual positions could be on the congressional chopping block.”

“This is no way to treat a workforce. The FAIR Act is a matter of justice. Federal employees work hard, serve honorably, and they deserve fair compensation,” said Connolly.

The FAIR Act’s wage adjustment restores years of lost wage increases, representing the difference between last year’s 5.3 percent request and the Obama Administration’s 2.1 percent increase. This legislation would ensure that federal employees serving across the country, in all 50 States and on behalf of constituents residing in every congressional district, earn a pay increase of 2 percent, plus a competitive locality pay adjustment of 1.2%, for this coming year.

In reintroducing the legislation, Connolly pointed out that no other group in our country has been demonized, demoralized, and asked to sacrifice more than our federal workforce. They have endured a three-year wage freeze; five years without locality pay; wage-reducing furloughs, sequester cuts, a government shutdown, a federal hiring freeze, the reinstatement of the Armageddon Rule, and incurred more than $182 billion in pay and benefit cuts, all in the name of deficit reduction.

“These hardworking federal employees are our neighbors and friends who live and serve in communities across America,” said Connolly. “Contrary to alternative facts, 85 percent of the federal workforce live and work outside the National Capital Region.”

"Congressman Connolly's FAIR Act recognizes that federal workers are falling further behind the private sector and our country needs to treat them fairly in order to maintain the world's best workforce," NTEU National President Tony Reardon said. "A pay increase for 2018 would help agencies recruit and retain highly-skilled workers who are already facing increasing costs for education, health care and other daily living expenses."

“AFGE thanks Congressman Connolly for his leadership and continued support for America's civil servants. Rep. Connolly understands that federal workers have been forced to weather an economic downturn, a three-year pay freeze, unpaid furloughs, and a hiring freeze," said AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr.


The FAIR Act is endorsed by the following groups:
American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE); Federal Managers Association (FMA); International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF); International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers (IFPTE); National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE); National Association of Federal Veterinarians (NAFV); National Association of Government Employees (NAGE); National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC); National Association of Postal Supervisors (NAPS); National Council of Social Security Management Associations (NCSSMA); National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRCLA); National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU); Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS); Professional Managers Association (PMA); Senior Executives Association (SEA)


Text of FAIR Act