Braddock, PA – Today, after more than a year of advocacy from Sen. Fetterman and several of his colleagues, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published a proposed rule that aims to correct a decades-old problem that has shortchanged hourly federal employees. The rule will finally ensure that Federal Wage System (FWS) and General Schedule (GS) employees working in the same facilities are paid according to the same locality pay scales. More than 2,100 federal employees in Pennsylvania, and nearly 14,500 across the country, are set to receive an average raise of 12% once the rule is finalized—putting more than $23.1 million into the pockets of hardworking Pennsylvanians in the first year alone.
“For years, hourly employees at some federal facilities across the country have been compensated according to different pay scales—and, in effect, paid less—than their salaried colleagues, despite the fact that they work in the very same buildings,” Senator Fetterman wrote in comments responding to the proposed rule. “This pay disparity between FWS and GS employees is inequitable and unfair, and it has shortchanged thousands of union workers across Pennsylvania for too long.”
For decades, hourly workers at federal facilities have been paid according to different locality pay scales than their salaried colleagues, despite working side-by-side in the same buildings. This pay disparity has taken a toll on federal workers who have spent years being undervalued by an outdated and arbitrary system. Facilities like Letterkenny Army Depot, Tobyhanna Army Depot, Defense Logistics Agency New Cumberland, Gettysburg National Military Park, and United States Penitentiary Canaan have faced serious challenges as a result, losing skilled workers to other facilities as well as better-paying private sector jobs, while also struggling to fill vacant positions.
While this has been a problem for decades, Senator Fetterman identified a path forward and, together with colleagues, affected unions, and workers across the commonwealth, relentlessly pushed the federal government to act. Today, these efforts are paying off. This proposed rule would recognize that all federal workers deserve equal dignity, no matter how they’re paid.
Timeline of Senator Fetterman’s Involvement:
- September 18, 2023: Senator Fetterman sent a letter to the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee (FPRAC) urging them to address the disparity between FWS and GS pay.
- December 21, 2023: FPRAC voted 9-1 to recommend combining FWS and GS locality pay areas, a critical first step toward resolving the issue.
- February 29, 2024: Senator Fetterman sent a follow-up letter to OPM Director Kiran Ahuja, calling for immediate implementation of FPRAC’s recommendation.
- April 2024: OPM Director approved FPRAC’s recommendation, clearing the way for the Biden-Harris Administration to act.
- October 11, 2024: The Biden-Harris Administration publishes the proposed rule to fix the pay disparity, following Fetterman’s sustained pressure on OPM and the White House. Senator Fetterman submits a public comment in strong support of the proposed rule.
This action by the Biden-Harris Administration is the closest the federal government has ever come to addressing this inequity. The proposed rule is now open to a 60-day comment period for public feedback and Senator Fetterman encourages all stakeholders to make their voices heard.
The public comment letter from Senator Fetterman is available here.
