JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas –
Nearly 50,000 Department of Defense employees recently received really good news. In January, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management announced that Federal civilian employees in the U.S. will now be paid at least $15 per hour.
All of the affected DOD employees, including many who are military spouses, work for local, non-appropriated fund activities providing essential services to the military community.
“We know that paying a living wage provides a myriad of benefits, from recruitment to retention to increased productivity, and more,” said Kiran Ahuja, Director of the Office of Personnel Management. “It’s also the right thing to do.”
At Joint Base San Antonio, the increase will make a big difference to employees and to those who use the services they provide.
“JBSA is a major employer in the local area -- with an average of 1,200 employees in 502nd Force Support Squadron alone -- ranging from military spouses, dependents, veterans and local community members,” said Rebecca White, 502nd FSS Director. “Currently, our payroll is more than $13 million. With this raise, it will be nearly $18 million annually.
“This is a good news story for our employees and ultimately to our JBSA warfighters and their families,” White added. “With appropriate salaries, we will be able to recruit and retain quality candidates, and in the area of 502nd FSS Morale, Welfare, and Recreation activities, we will be able to increase our programming and offerings due to higher staffing levels.”
While leaders are excited to see employees benefit from the increase in pay, please keep in mind that patrons may see a slight increase in fees and charges, which are set at local levels based on supply and labor costs. Child and Youth care fees and lodging rates are centrally established at headquarters levels.
“Our managers do their best to ensure we offer services and programs which beat almost any price off post,” White said. “In some instances, we are currently less than 50% of comparable off-base or off-post businesses. We will continue to be lower than local business, but maybe not 50% below."
White noted that slight increases in fees will also contribute to the quality of services, equipment, and events they offer to patrons.
“Did you know, we use NAF funds to not only buy our refrigerators, ovens, and dishes, but also to buy new golf carts, campers and trailers, and to give back to the community through base-wide events such as the holiday parade, Glow in the Park, Taste of JBSA, and Lakin’ it Easy,” she said.
The pay increase employees have received will not only help organizations continue to provide quality services and allow them to retain adequate staffing to support military communities through recreation, child care, safety services, and other quality-of-life activities, it will also improve the quality of life for employees.
“We should strive for every federal job to be a good job, and we want to ensure that every federal employee has a pathway to the middle class,” Ahuja said. "This pay increase is an important step for the civilian men and women who support the military community and their families.”