[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 71 (Wednesday, April 26, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E548]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF THE LOW-WAGE FEDERAL CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEE BACK PAY ACT 
                                OF 2017

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 26, 2017

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Low-Wage Federal 
Contractor Back Pay Act of 2017, to grant back pay to federally 
contracted retail, food, custodial and security service workers who may 
be furloughed if there is a federal government shutdown this fiscal 
year. The bill would apply to all three branches of the federal 
government. The idea for the bill was brought to my attention by 
federally contracted service workers, some of whom work here on the 
Capitol grounds providing Members of Congress and congressional staff 
with daily services, in 2013 when the federal government shut down.
  Many federally contracted workers in federal agencies earn little 
more than the minimum wage with few, if any benefits, and while others 
are unionized with a little better wage, all are the lowest paid 
workers in the federal government and should not be punished because 
Congress fails to do its job and keep the government functioning. 
Congress has historically provided back pay to federal employees, who 
work in the same buildings as these low-wage service workers, 
furloughed during government shutdowns--but not low-wage contract 
workers. However, both groups of workers deserve to be made whole after 
these shutdowns. I recognize, of course, that contract workers are 
employees of contractors, but the distinction between federal workers 
and at least the lowest-paid service workers who serve the federal 
government and its employees and keep, for example, their premises 
clean, fails when it comes to a deliberate government shutdown. Unlike 
many other contractors, those who employ low-wage service workers have 
little latitude to help make up for lost wages. Low-wage federally 
contracted service workers could least afford the loss of pay during a 
shutdown, and should not have to go to work every day with everyone 
else in their federal buildings likely receiving back pay except for 
them.
  The nation's capital is the high-profile home of the federal 
government's collusion with contractors that pay low wages through 
leases and contracts with federal agencies. At least this legislation 
would provide some parity to their low-wage federal contractor workers.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

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