PSC Applauds House Passage of Contractor “Back Pay”

Arlington, V.A. (June 26, 2019) – The Professional Services Council (PSC) applauded House passage of legislation (H.R. 3055) on June 25 that would provide certain federal government contractors with “back pay” for the most recent government shutdown. 

“The inclusion of the ‘Fair Compensation for Low-Wage Contractor Employees Act of 2019’ in the House-passed fiscal year 2020 Appropriations Act is a first step to providing fairness and equity to a portion of the government contractor community,” said Alan Chvotkin, PSC Executive Vice President and Counsel. “We urge the Senate to prioritize similar legislation to make whole all contractor employees still facing a financial hardship brought on through no fault of their own. It is the right thing to do.”

PSC also refuted the claims about the difficulty of implementing back pay, with Chvotkin stating: “reimbursement of costs incurred is completely consistent with the government’s acquisition system and current federal practices. Federal agencies are equipped to manage both claims under contracts where there was a stop work order issued, as well as contractor requests for equitable adjustments. Both are a routine part of government contractor post-award contract administration that would allow for a seamless implementation of back pay quickly and accurately.”  

PSC has advocated for contractor back pay since the shutdown began, including recently testifying before the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations on May 6, arguing for contractor employees to have full parity with their federal employee counterparts. PSC believes this parity should extend to all contractor employees, just as it does for all federal civilians.

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Media Contact: 
Ashlei Stevens, Media Relations Director
703.875.8974 | stevens@pscouncil.org 
About PSC: PSC is the voice of the government technology and professional services industry. PSC’s nearly 400 member companies represent small, medium and large businesses that provide federal agencies with services of all kinds, including information technology, engineering, logistics, facilities management, operations and maintenance, consulting, international development, scientific, social, environmental services, and more. Together, the trade association’s members employ hundreds of thousands of Americans in all 50 states. Follow PSC on Twitter @PSCSpeaks. To learn more, visit www.pscouncil.org.