WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Legislation introduced Tuesday by Congressman Gerry Connolly and 32 other lawmakers would provide federal employees with a 5.3% wage increase next year.

"AFGE has led the call for a 5.3% catch-up pay adjustment and I'm incredibly grateful for the strong support our proposal has received," American Federation of Government Employees National President J. David Cox Sr. said.

Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia has introduced the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act, which would provide federal employees with a 5.3% catch-up pay adjustment in 2017. Due to years of frozen wages and minuscule increases, federal employees have seen their standard of living decline 6.5% since the start of the decade. Congressman Connolly first announced his intention to introduce the bill during the American Federation of Government Employees' Legislative and Grassroots Mobilization Conference earlier this month, where he addressed hundreds of federal employee activists during a rain-soaked rally on Capitol Hill.

Congressman Connolly of Virginia first announced his intention to introduce the legislation during AFGE's Legislative and Grassroots Mobilization Conference earlier this month, where he addressed hundreds of federal employee activists during a rain-soaked rally on Capitol Hill.

Rep. Connolly's bill, the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act, would provide employees with a 3.9% across-the-board increase plus a 1.4% locality adjustment. President Obama has proposed a combined 1.6% raise for federal employees next year.

"Due to years of frozen wages and minuscule adjustments, federal pay has not only fallen far behind rates in the private sector and state and local government, it has also failed to keep up with the cost of living, leaving all federal workers' families with declining living standards," Cox said.

"Federal employees have lost $182 billion in compensation since the start of the economic crisis. This amount will continue to grow because the cuts were permanent, even though the problems they were imposed to address were temporary.

"Congress must pass this catch-up contribution to keep federal employees from falling further behind."

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 670,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.

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SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees

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