Federal union leaders on low end of pay scale, survey shows

The leaders of labor unions representing federal employees have one thing in common with the federal executives they often spar with: Both are underpaid compared with their counterparts in other sectors of the economy.

Most leaders of unions representing federal employees and postal workers make salaries in the low six figures, according to National Journal's latest survey of compensation for top executives of trade associations, interest groups and labor unions. In contrast, many of the leaders of Washington's high-powered trade associations make more than $500,000 a year in total compensation.

According to the survey, Bobby Harnage, head of the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union representing federal employees, made $127,977 in 2000. Colleen Kelley, his counterpart at the National Treasury Employees Union, the largest federal labor organization not affiliated with the AFL-CIO, made $151,531.

National Journal drew its data for the survey from the publicly disclosed tax forms that trade groups and other nonprofit organizations must file each year with the Internal Revenue Service. The survey features compensation data for 500 trade organizations, labor unions, think tanks and interest groups that are either headquartered in the Washington area or have substantial operations there. Because of filing delays and extensions, these forms reflect salaries paid two years ago-and in some cases, three years ago.

What Kelley and Harnage make pales in comparison with what top association executives are paid. The highest-paid such executive, Eugene Upshaw, executive director of the National Football League Players Association, made $1,464,649. Another 17 trade association CEOs and presidents also hauled in more than $1 million each in salary, benefits and expense allowances in 2000. And this millionaires club is followed by a group of 80 other executives who brought home more than $500,000 in salary and benefits.

The number of association CEOs who pulled down salary and benefits that topped $1 million amounted to twice the number who managed that feat in 1998. The increase was driven in part by some large payouts that are classified as benefits and as deferred compensation. Twenty of the 50 highest-paid executives in the current survey received benefits and deferred compensation worth more than $200,000.

Overall, 52 top executives--more than 10 percent of all those surveyed--took home benefits and deferred compensation in the six figure range. Such payments are generally made on top of salaries and performance bonuses.

Not only are federal union leaders paid much less than the heads of associations representing private sector corporations, they often also make less than other representatives of public sector employees.

For example, Sandra Feldman, president of the American Federation of Teachers, made $405,005, according to the survey. Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, made $274,445. Alfred Whitehead, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, took in $166,887.

On the postal side, Vincent Sombrotto, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, made $155,397. William Quinn, president of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, earned $118,139.