DC Security Officers, Federal Workers Get Raises

Thousands of DC security workers and over 300,000 Washington-Baltimore region federal workers got boosts in their paychecks as part of recently approved District and federal legislation. The DC City Council passed a bill on Tuesday setting minimum wage and benefit levels for union and non-union security officers in the District at $11.51 an hour plus $3.16 for benefits. “By requiring fair wages, we are taking an important step to address our City’s staggering poverty rate,” said Councilmember Phil Mendelson, who introduced the bill with Councilmembers Kwame Brown, Marion Barry, Tommy Wells, Jim Graham and Harry Thomas Jr. “This raise will help me pay more bills and make a better life for my son,” said Raquel Mack, a pregnant single mother and security officer who protects a downtown office building. “I commend City Councilmembers for working with us to make livable wages a high priority,” added SEIU Local 32BJ Capital Area Director Jaime Contreras. Local 32BJ represents a majority of security officers in DC. Hundreds of thousands of area federal workers also received raises after President Bush signed an Executive Order on Friday, reported Stephen Barr in Saturday’s Washington Post. “Workers will receive a 4.49 percent increase under a salary formula that gives higher adjustments to certain metropolitan areas where officials believe federal pay has lagged the private sector the furthest,” Barr reported. The order also gives a 3.5 percent raise to civil service workers and raises the salaries of military personnel, members of the Executive Cabinet and Federal Congressional representatives.