This is PASS National President Tom Brantley with a broadcast message for January 6, 2011.

After reviewing the legislation that was enacted, as well as various guidance documents, it appears that the proposed two-year pay freeze will specifically target changes to all federal pay systems that rely on the annual Presidential increase for employee raises. A key point is that the freeze does not target the pay of individual employees, just the pay systems. Consequently, a general across-the-board increase, such as that provided by the annual Presidential increase is not allowed.

However, the freeze does not affect adjustments to an individual employee’s pay based on performance. Therefore, promotions, within-grade or step increases, quality step increases or any increase based on individual performance is excluded from the freeze.

The following breakdown by pay system for employees represented by PASS will help explain the impact to individual members:

FG pay system:
·        No annual increase for 2011 and 2012.
·        Employees eligible for a within-grade or step increase should be given the increase.
·        Employees eligible for a promotion, either as a result of increased duties or responsibilities or when they meet the requirements for a planned promotion (such as in career-ladder positions) should be given the increase.

Prevailing Rate (Wage Grade):
·        No annual increase for 2011 and 2012.
·        Employees eligible for a within-grade or step increase should be given the increase.
·        Employees eligible for a promotion, either as a result of increased duties or responsibilities or when they meet the requirements for a planned promotion (such as in career-ladder positions) should be given the increase.

PASS/FAA (Tech Ops) pay system:
·        The portion of the Organizational Success Increase (OSI) that is funded from money that would previously have been spent on within-grade and quality step increases (1% of those funds) should still be paid. The portion of the Organizational Success Increase (OSI) that is funded from money that would previously have been spent on the annual Presidential increase will not be paid. This means a total increase of 1% for OSI for 2011 and 2012 should be paid.
·        The portion of the Superior Contribution Increase (SCI) that is funded from money that would previously have been spent on within-grade and quality step increases (an amount equal to 0.6% of those funds forms a pool that is divided among the employees who are eligible for an SCI increase) should still be paid. This means that any employee eligible for an SCI increase should be paid.

We will continue to monitor the situation and ensure that employees represented by PASS are paid to the fullest extent of the law and our collective bargaining agreements.

 

House bill proposes third year for pay freeze

A bill introduced Jan. 7 would freeze federal employees' pay for a third year, cut the federal work force by 10 percent, and enact several other proposals from the White House's deficit reduction commission.

Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, said HR 235, the CUTS Act, would reduce federal spending by $153 billion and be an important step toward balancing the budget.

"Our nation's budget is out of control," Brady said in a statement. "We need to take strong actions today to get it back on track. Both Republicans and Democrats on the deficit commission agreed these cuts need to be made, so let's make a down payment on restoring our nation to a balanced budget and leaner government."

The chairmen of the deficit commission proposed a wide array of spending and benefit cuts and new taxes to help balance the budget. But last month, their report failed to gain enough votes from the rest of the commission members to force a vote in Congress. Brady's bill seeks to revive commission chairmen Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles' proposals.

President Obama and Congress last month passed a two-year freeze to federal employees' pay scales, covering 2011 and 2012. But Brady's bill would extend that freeze through 2013, as the deficit commission suggested.

The CUTS Act also calls for annual cuts of $440 million from non-defense printing budgets, $400 million from federal travel, and $300 million from the federal vehicle fleet.

The General Services Administration would be required to immediately sell $15 billion in excess federal property that is no longer used.

The bill also would cut $15 billion in procurement funding from the Defense Department. And the bill orders the IRS to collect $3 billion in unpaid taxes from federal employees, military service members and retirees.

Lawmaker proposes two weeks of unpaid leave for most feds

Most federal employees would have to take two weeks of unpaid leave in fiscal 2012 under a bill introduced Jan. 12 by Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo.

HR 270 would require civilian federal employees to take their furlough days nonconsecutively. For example, they would take one unpaid day of leave each week until they had fulfilled their furlough requirement, Coffman spokesman Joe Megyesy said.

Megyesy said national security, law enforcement and public health and safety employees would not be furloughed.

The bill would also cut lawmakers' pay by 10 percent and cut appropriations for legislative branch staffers' salaries and expenses in fiscal 2012.

Coffman introduced a similar bill last year, but it died in committee.