Skilled Trades Workers in North Dakota, Montana Win Pay Rate Increase

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Federation of Government Employees today applauded the Office of Personnel Management for approving a union-backed plan to increase wages for federal blue-collar employees at Minot Air Force Base and surrounding locations.

AFGE has pressured the Department of Defense and OPM for two years to step up and match private-sector rates in the area, which have risen significantly in recent years.

The special rates being established will boost wages by as much as 30 percent for employees in 17 skilled trades occupations, including mechanics, electricians, and drill rig operators. The OPM action, announced March 18, follows a similar union-backed increase in December that raised wages for about 100 employees at Minot who are paid through non-appropriated funds.

"Without the sustained efforts of our union, the government would have been content to keep federal pay rates far, far below private-sector standards," AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. said. "This is a tremendous win for federal workers in the Bakken region, and it shows what can be accomplished when AFGE activists mobilize to fight for better living standards."

AFGE will continue to pressure OPM for similar increases for all blue-collar and white-collar employees in the region, Cox said.

"Federal employees have seen their purchasing power dwindle due to the oil shale boom. Private-sector employers have already responded to the market by raising their wages, but the federal government has lagged behind. We will continue fighting to increase wages for all employees in the area," he said.

Skilled trades employees at 10 worksites in North Dakota and Montana will receive the wage increases under OPM's latest action. This includes Minot Air Force Base; the Agricultural Research Service in Mandan, N.D.; Army Corps of Engineers facilities in Riverdale and Williston, N.D.; National Guard bureaus in Minot and Bismarck, N.D.; Bureau of Reclamation facilities in Billings, Mont., and Coleharbor, N.D.; National Park Service sites in Medora and Coleharbor, N.D.; and the Fish and Wildlife Service in Kenmare, N.D.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 670,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.

For the latest AFGE news and information, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131120/MM21150LOGO

SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees

Related Links

http://www.afge.org

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED