On January 30, 2023, the federal government made a cost of living adjustment to the federal minimum wage for contractors, bringing it from the original $15.00 set by Executive Order 14026 in January of 2022 to $16.20.
UE Local 808 represents hundreds of workers employed by the contractor ITC Federal at the USCIS service center here. “General Clerk I” — the lowest-paid job category — makes up about 40 percent of the bargaining unit, and the local had expected that raising GCI’s wages from the current rate of $15.91 to the new minimum would be non-controversial. The company, though, was resistant to acknowledging its obligation to make that adjustment, making specious arguments about contract renewal dates.
Upon learning of ITC's resistance, the local launched a petition action and according to Local 808 President Eric Franke, "the response from members was immediate." The union rapidly collected more than 500 signatures from members and supporters. The local also distributed information to members shaming ITC for its efforts to dodge its obligation to pay the increase.
In response, ITC agreed to grant the adjustment, retroactive to February 1. The success of the petition action “showed our members just how quickly we could get a response from the company when we act together,” said Franke.
Local 808 continues to make improvements for its lowest-paid members. In contract negotiations with ITC (which were ongoing at the time of this writing), the local has already secured agreement to increase GCI earnings by an additional $2 per hour effective December 1 of this year.