Northern Virginia Technology Council Statement in Support of Legislation Securing Back Pay for Low Income Contractor Service Employees Impacted by the Federal Government
HERNDON, Va. (PRWEB) January 18, 2019 -- The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) today expresses its support for legislation recently introduced in Congress that would secure back pay for the federal contractor service employees who continue to go without pay during the government shutdown.
The Fair Compensation for Low-Wage Contractor Employees Act (S. 162), which is cosponsored by Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, aims to federal contractor employees in lower wage categories —including janitorial, food, and security services workers—who have been furloughed or forced to accept reduced work hours as a result of the government shutdown. Specifically, the legislation would:
- Completely replace missed wages for workers making less than $50,200 per year (twice the poverty level for a family of four).
- Compensate workers earning more than $50,200 per year up to the $50,200 threshold ($965 per week).
- Restore paid leave for workers who were required by the contractor to use it.
Similar legislation in the House (H.R. 339 and H.R. 678) has been cosponsored by Northern Virginia Reps. Don Beyer, Gerald Connolly and Jennifer Wexton.
In supporting the legislation, NVTC President and CEO Bobbie Kilberg made the following statement:
“Federal contractors are essential to the government’s ability to serve its citizens. Congress must ensure that contract employees, particularly those in lower wage categories, are fairly compensated for their work during this shutdown. NVTC applauds all members of the Virginia delegation for their sponsorship and support of these bills. In addition to passage of these important bills, we urge the President and Congress to act swiftly to end the shutdown, allowing all federal employees and contractors to return to their jobs serving our country.”
The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) is the membership and trade association for the technology community in Northern Virginia. As the largest technology council in the nation, NVTC serves about 1,000 companies from all sectors of the technology industry, as well as service providers, universities, foreign embassies, nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies. Through its member companies, NVTC represents about 300,000 employees in the region. NVTC is recognized as the nation's leader in providing its technology community with networking and educational events; specialized services and benefits; public policy advocacy; branding of its region as a major global technology center; initiatives in targeted business sectors and in the international, entrepreneurship, workforce and education arenas; and the NVTC Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that supports the NVTC Veterans Employment Initiative and other priorities within Virginia's technology community. Visit NVTC at http://www.nvtc.org.
Allison Gilmore, Northern Virginia Technology Council, +1 (703) 268-5153, [email protected]
Share this article