NTEU was successful in working with Congress to secure an average 3.1 percent pay increase for federal employees and the historic passing of a paid parental leave program providing 12 weeks of paid time to spend with a new child.

The White House has issued an Executive Order implementing the average 3.1 percent pay increase for General Schedule (GS) federal employees for calendar year 2020. The 3.1 percent pay increase consists of a 2.6 percent across-the-board increase and an average 0.5 percent increase to locality pay rates. It is important to note that the 0.5 percent locality pay figure is an average number, meaning some areas will receive locality pay increases below this amount, while others will receive locality pay rate increases slightly above this amount.  These new pay rates will be effective in the first pay period of 2020.

The new 2020 General Schedule pay tables from OPM can be found on the OPM website here.  The pay tables are specific for each designated locality pay area (and RUS). The pay table for the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington area, where EPA HQ is located, is available here and includes an overall pay increase of 3.52 percent.

While the President’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget proposal to Congress recommended a pay freeze for all federal employees covered by the GS, in August he issued an alternative pay memo providing a 2.6 percent across-the-board increase. However, the House passed legislation providing an average 3.1 percent increase consisting of a 2.6 percent across-the-board increase and 0.5 percent for locality, and the final spending agreement passed by Congress included the increase proposed by the House. This amount is equal to that provided to the military for 2020.  

The Executive Order implementing the pay increase reflects the successful efforts of NTEU leaders and members working with their members of Congress to override the President’s proposal and provide employees with an increase that helps keep up with the cost of living.  As we now turn to the 2021 appropriations, NTEU will continue the fight for fair pay for all federal employees.

Several NTEU-represented agencies, including EPA, will see increased funding for the remainder of the fiscal year:

• EPA: $208 million, a complete reversal of the 30 percent cut the administration originally proposed.

• IRS: $207 million more to spend than in FY2019, including increases for taxpayer services, enforcement, operations support and business systems modernization.

• CBP: the Office of Field Operations will have $104 million to create 800 new positions, including 610 new CBP Officers and Agriculture Specialists.

• SEC: $70 million more than what the administration requested.

• HHS: the proposed $12.4 billion in cuts the administration had sought was rejected.

• NPS: $155 million more than this year.

• DOE: three advanced research and science offices the administration's plan wanted to eliminate are intact.

“We are pleased that Congress chose to recognize the important missions of our agencies and decided to give federal employees more tools and resources they need to carry them out,” National President Tony Reardon said.