Federal employee unions and advocacy groups are making their priorities known ahead of Democrats assuming power of Congress in January, following the blue wave in the midterm elections.
Among their top priorities is securing a pay raise for federal civilian workers in 2027. The Trump administration proposed a freeze on pay for most federal workers, with the exception of a 3.8 percent raise for some federal law enforcement personnel.
But in a statement following the election results, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) President Everett Kelley called on Congress to override the administration's proposal and enact a raise.
“Making sure they earn a fair wage isn’t just good for them — it’s good for the quality of government services and the people we all serve,” said Kelley.
That position was echoed by Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA), who says he will push for an employee raise in upcoming spending negotiations, with a 4.1 percent raise as the starting point in negotiations.
“If we’re going to make it part of the government funding conversation in the runup to the December 11 expiration of the [continuing resolution], it could be, in the ideal world, part of that agreement. If not, we’ll fight it out in 2027 when any additional CR then expires,” said Rep. Walkinshaw.
Beyond pay, unions are also calling for passage of the Protect America’s Workforce Act (H.R. 2550) which would overturn two executive orders that sought to end union contracts for most federal employees on national security grounds.
The bill passed the House last December but remains stalled in the Senate.
National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) Staff Vice President for Policy and Programs John Hatton said the spending bill and upcoming National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) offer opportunities to attach additional legislation.
Democrats have also signaled that they could pursue investigations into reductions in force, federal contracts, Schedule Policy/Career, and other Trump administration workforce actions.
