AFGE Urges Lawmakers to Oppose Pay Freeze Proposal

Pay freeze singles out working-class employees

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Federation of Government Employees is urging lawmakers to oppose President Obama's proposal to freeze pay for federal civilian employees.

Denying pay increases to federal workers will have no measurable impact on the deficit, won't spur economic growth or job creation and won't free up resources to refurbish the nation's public infrastructure, AFGE Legislative and Political Director Beth Moten wrote in a Dec. 2 letter to House and Senate lawmakers.

"It will do nothing but create operational and morale problems in federal agencies and programs, and impoverish the already modestly-paid federal work force," Moten wrote.

Freezing federal wages causes particular hardship for the more than one million federal workers who earn less than $70,000 annually. Starting salaries for VA nursing assistants, correctional officers, mine inspectors and countless other occupations are below $40,000, and they can ill afford to have their pay frozen for the next two years as President Obama proposed on Nov. 30.

"A pay freeze singles out for economic pain working and middle class Americans who have dedicated their lives to public service – often in dangerous occupations," Moten wrote.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 600,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.

SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees

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