Unions vow to fight extended pay freeze in spending bill

Federal worker unions said Tuesday that they will work to reverse an extended pay freeze contained in the six-month continuing resolution coming to the House floor on Thursday.

The bill continues the two-year-old pay freeze beyond Jan. 1 until March 27. President Obama had sought a 0.5 percent increase for civilian workers starting in the new year.

“It remains disappointing that the measure to fund the government from Oct. 1 through March 27 continues the pay freeze for federal workers while the CR is in effect,” said National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley said.

"It is absolutely unfair to federal employees to delay the pay raise until the expiration of the CR.  Federal employees bear no responsibility for the inability of the House and Senate to reconcile their appropriations bills prior to the expiration of the fiscal year," said American Federation of Government Employees National President J. David Cox.

He said the delay would "have virtually no fiscal budgetary savings, but it will extend the hardship, particularly of lower-graded employees, that they have already borne for two years."

The six-month spending bill is needed to keep the government open after Oct. 1 because Congress has not enacted its regular annual appropriations bills. The House and Senate have crafted bills based on different top-line numbers, but the CR uses the Senate figure of $1.047 trillion.

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