Legislation would ensure uniform pay for new mega base

by: Jason Springer

Mon Jun 15, 2009 at 01:00:00 PM EDT

This make no sense at all and seems like it should be changed:

A South Jersey congressman says civilian employees must get paid the same for doing the same work regardless of where they're located on the new "mega" military base.
But Rep. John H. Adler said that's not the case for about 2,600 engineers, firefighters, mechanics and other employees at Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base, who get paid less than their counterparts at the Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst because of differing pay scales.
The three installations are being fused into a joint base and are scheduled to be under the Air Force's control by Oct. 1.

There is bi-partisan co-sponsorship behind an effort to change that with New Jersey Congressmen including Democrats Adler, Rob Andrews and Rush Holt joining Republicans Chris Smith and Frank LoBiondo. The bill would ensure pay parity for Federal Employees Serving at Joint Base McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst::

The bipartisan legislation consolidates the Joint Base McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst as one joint installation into Ocean County, which is located in the higher (New York) cost area. The legislation will ensure that:
No civilian employees lose pay due to the consolidation.
All civilian employees are paid equally for jobs performed regardless of where they work on the Joint Base.
The Joint Base McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst offers competitive wages for displaced civilian employees at Fort Monmouth, NJ.

In introducing the legislation, Congressman Adler released a report showing the need for the change and the unique situation the base presents:

The new Joint Base McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst (JB-MDL) is one of 12 joint bases, and is unique in a couple of ways.
1. It is the only tri-service installation, combining major Air Force, Army, and Navy installations into one Joint Base. The new joint base includes the former McGuire AFB, Fort Dix, and Lakehurst NAES.
2. It is the only joint base that crosses over two separate locality pay1 areas affecting civilian employee2 pay. The former McGuire AFB (Air Force) and Fort Dix (Army) are located in Burlington County, which is in the Philadelphia pay area (21.25% locality pay) and the former Lakehurst NAES (Navy) is located in Ocean County, which is in the higher New York pay area (27.96% locality pay).

You can view the whole report here. The Joint Base meets the criteria for placement into the higher locality pay area of Ocean County, but that process would take years to complete. They are combining the bases in October, so unless the change is made before then, Lakehurst employees will make nearly $3,000 more than their counterparts at Mcguire and Ft Dix.

Jason Springer :: Legislation would ensure uniform pay for new mega base