Labor Union Blog

pPresident Barack Obama is tightening belts all around, including those of federal workers. Under Obama’s budget civilian federal workers would have pay raises capped at 2 percent in 2010. Military personnel would be giving a slightly larger pay raise of 2.9 percent. The administration says they made the decision to tighten pay raises so public sector worker increases would be similar to what is happening in the private sector. In 2009 workers received a pay increase of 3.9 percent and in 2008 they received an increase of 3.5 percent. Military personnel received a pay increase of 3.9 percent in 2009. The two percent cap is Obama’s suggested pay raise for the federal workforce, but the actual raise given to workers would be based on promotions and regional factors./p