Press Releases

This week, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright introduced legislation that would enact fair wages for all workers at Tobyhanna Army Depot. H.R. 4039, the Locality Pay Equity Act, aims to solve a local labor market boundary issue that has resulted in wage computation disparity between wage scale or hourly employees and general schedule (GS) or salaried employees.

Currently, Tobyhanna Army Depot hourly employees are included in the Scranton wage area, which is part of a pay area known as the Rest of U.S.(RUS). The RUS region represents all non-urban areas that include a minimal amount of federal employees. General schedule Tobyhanna employees, however, have been placed in the New York City regional boundary, receiving a 25% pay differential (increased) rate.

“The current system is dated and does not take into account current regional considerations and statistics,” said Rep. Cartwright. “This legislation simply directs the Office of Personnel Management to fix this archaic system and level the playing field for all employees at Tobyhanna.”

The Locality Pay Equity Act would only raise wages of hourly wage employees; it would not affect the general schedule (GS) salaried employees in any way.