|
COLA equality for federal employees here
Wednesday,
June 24, 2009
The US House of Representatives has approved a bill which would give federal employees stationed in American Samoa the same cost of living allowance as federal employees stationed in Guam and Northern Marianas.
Under this legislation, federal employees in American Samoa would receive 12.9-percent locality pay received by the rest of the United States.
Congressman Faleomavaega said American Samoa is the only non-foreign part of the United States in which federal employees do not receive a cost-of-living allowance. For this reason, he introduced legislation, to provide that an employee stationed in American Samoa shall be paid the same allowance as if he or she were stationed in Guam or CNMI. Both of these non-foreign areas currently receive a COLA rate of 25-percent.
The congressman thanked the Chairman of the House Committee on Armed Services, Congressman Ike Skelton of Missouri, for including in this bill provisions to extend locality pay to Hawaii, Alaska and the U.S. territories. He also expressed appreciation to Hawaii, Congressman Neil Abercrombie, and Senator Daniel Akaka, for their leadership on this important matter.
The bill is now on its way to the Senate for consideration.
| 
