{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399935", "<span class =\"kicker\">APP News Article on Smith-MacArthur Efforts for JB-MDL Workers</span>'600 Joint Base employees to get raises'", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "By Erik Larsen of the Asbury Park Press - \r\n  \r\nAn estimated 600 civilian employees are getting a raise.  \r\n\r\nThe U.S. Office of Personnel Management issued final regulations Wednesday that will adjust the wages\u00a0of Joint Base staff so their pay\u00a0takes into account\u00a0the higher cost of living in the New York metropolitan area rather than the Philadelphia metropolitan area, according to a joint statement from U.S. Reps. Chris Smith and Tom MacArthur, R-N.J., who both advocated for the change.\r\nPreviously, the federal government had adjusted the salaries of white-collar employees at the base but had not done the same for blue-collar and other non-exempt\u00a0employees who receive hourly wages instead of a fixed annual salary, the statement read.\r\nA disparity occurred after the Joint Base was established as a single entity in 2009 from three different military installations \u2014 McGuire Air Force Base and Fort Dix in Burlington County and Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst in Ocean County. Ocean County is considered part of the New York metro area while\u00a0Burlington County is part of the Philadelphia metro area.  \r\n\r\nToday, the Joint Base is the second-largest single employer in New Jersey after the state government itself. \u00a0The base pumps about $6.9 billion each year\u00a0into the regional economy, according to the statement.\r\nThe scheduled pay increase\u00a0is expected to take effect in the first pay period of 2017, starting on Jan. 8, the statement read.\r\n\u201cOPM\u2019s announcement is a big win for Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and our local community,\" Smith said in the statement. \"The elimination of this outdated, pre-BRAC policy (Base Realignment and Closure) means the men and women of the Joint Base\u2019s workforce will finally be paid equally and fairly.\"\r\nThe congressman\u00a0represents about half of the Joint Base.\u00a0Smith is also the author of the the Joint Base Pay Parity Act, which was aimed at making such a change.\r\nMacArthur, who represents the other half of the base,\u00a0said in the statement: \"Over the last two years, I have seen first-hand the importance of ensuring pay parity for wage-grade workers at the base. I have actively advocated for this proposal along with my colleague Chris Smith, and it brings me great joy to know that hard working families in South Jersey will finally earn the pay they deserve.\"\r\nThis article originally was published by the Asbury Park Press on Nov. 30, 20116 at:\r\nhttp://www.app.com/story/news/military/2016/11/30/600-joint-base-employees-get-raises/94671208/", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399935"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6327037699520588, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}