Anniston, , AL – About 1,500 wage grade employees at Anniston Army Depot have received significant pay increases following the approval of long-delayed 2024 pay raises and a realignment to a higher-paying wage area, according to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).
The change is being described by union leaders as one of the most substantial compensation improvements for the depot’s workforce in decades.
Charles “Chazz” Barclay, president of AFGE Local 1945, said the adjustment reflects the importance of the work performed by the depot’s federal employees.
“This is a historic moment for the hardworking federal employees at Anniston Army Depot,” Barclay said. “Our employees perform critical work supporting the readiness of our nation’s military. This pay improvement recognizes their skill, dedication, and the value they bring to national defense.”
As part of the adjustment, employees were moved from the Anniston wage area to a higher-paying wage area centered in Birmingham, AL. Under the revised wage schedule, many workers saw notable increases in hourly wages. For example, a WG-9 Step 5 employee experienced an increase of about $3.20 per hour, raising hourly pay from approximately $30 to more than $33. Depending on grade and step level, that increase equates to roughly $6,600 in additional annual earnings per employee.
The wage area realignment took effect at the start of the federal fiscal year on Oct. 1, 2025. Because the change was applied retroactively, many employees recently received back pay totaling thousands of dollars.
Union leaders say the adjustment is expected to generate approximately $10 million in additional annual income for employees. Much of that income is expected to circulate within the local economy, benefiting families and businesses throughout Anniston and the broader Northeast Alabama region.
AFGE National President Everett Kelley also commented on the wage adjustment, noting that it reflects continued advocacy for federal employees.
“This achievement demonstrates the importance of strong labor representation and AFGE’s continued advocacy for federal employees,” Kelley said. “AFGE will continue working to ensure the men and women who support our military receive the respect and compensation they deserve.”
Employees across a wide range of skilled trades and occupations are expected to benefit from the increase. These include mechanics, machinists, welders, painters, sandblasters, electronics technicians, production workers, maintenance personnel, and general labor employees who help maintain and rebuild military equipment used by the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense.
In addition to the wage area adjustment, employees also benefited from the approval in November of delayed 2024 pay raises affecting more than 118,000 Department of Defense employees nationwide who are paid under the Federal Wage System. Those raises had been delayed during a transition between presidential administrations.
The wage adjustment follows more than two decades of advocacy by AFGE to address pay disparities affecting federal blue-collar workers. Barclay credited AFGE Public Policy Director Jacqueline Simon for her long-term work on the issue.
“Jacque Simon’s leadership and dedication over two decades played a critical role in bringing this issue across the finish line,” Barclay said. “Her work, along with the leadership of AFGE President Everett Kelley and AFGE’s national advocacy, helped secure this victory for federal blue-collar workers.”
