ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- NCUA's senior staff salaries have been the subject of news stories for some time now because they often exceed other federal financial depository institution regulatory agencies, but now the regular pay structure is making news.

NCUA employees grade CU-1 through 15 have not changed since 2003, the last adjustment prior to eligible employees opting for representation from the National Treasury Employees Union in 2004, according to NCUA Executive Director Len Skiles. Staff salaries are ultimately approved by the NCUA Board and must be comparable to the other Federal Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA) agencies, but pay must be bargained with the union, he said; after three years, a bargaining agreement has not be reached.

NTEU President Colleen Kelley said that it is true they have not reached an agreement with NCUA on pay and so now changes have been made. "They have not put anything on the table that would be fair or appropriate," she said.

Of the entire negotiating process, Kelley said it has been fairly hostile but not surprising under the Bush Administration. "NCUA has really refused to budge on the regressive proposals they have put on the table, whether it's pay or certification," she said.

However, according to an update on the Chapter 303's (NCUA's) Web site (http://www.nteuchapter303.org/), mediation "stalled" on the bargaining agreement over many items, including compensation, "NCUA continues to propose no increase in compensation for current employees and no expansion of the pay bands, even though an increasing number of employees are now at the top of their pay band. Consequently, those employees receive merit raises as a lump sum rather than as an increase to their base pay," the letter read. The union also states that comparable FDIC employees to NCUA grades CU-7 through 14 are paid 18% to 23% higher.

According to the site, NCUA is also not backing down on keeping employees from "grieving" issues like pay and performance appraisals or not allowing an examiner's home to serve as their official office for mileage reimbursement, even though many work from their homes.

According to Skiles, the NCUA Board reviewed the agency's locality pay structure, changing it from 260 geographic areas to 32 locality pay areas in 2000. He explained, "This was done in order to allow NCUA employee's pay to be at a rate comparable to 95% of the private sector and was in line with FDIC's locality pay rates."

In July 2003, Skiles continued, the pay bands (See chart) for CU-15 and below were increased by 3.50% to bring the pay scale more in line to the other FIRREA agencies. After NTEU became the official representative of NCUA employees eligible for the bargaining unit in July 2004, he said, NCUA was required to establish an agreement with the union. "Consequently, there has been no changes to NCUA's pay bands since 2003," he said.

Most examiners are in the grade CU-11 or CU-12 range--somewhere between $45,570 and $87,810, but entry-level can start around $23,391 at CU-5 (See chart).

The Full Spectrum

Typically, NCUA's senior staff salaries make headlines in credit union circles. According to information obtained by Credit Union Times through the Freedom of Information Act, Skiles made $250,768 a year as his base salary--the same as last year due to new caps, but according to Asbury Park Press' Gannett Searchable Database, his salary with locality pay came to $283,042 in 2006. Asbury's information is based on Office of Personnel Management data.

About 18 months ago, the NCUA Board voted to cap salaries at $225,000, excluding locality pay. In addition to Skiles, NCUA General Counsel Bob Fenner also already exceeds that amount while Director of Examination & Insurance Dave Marquis has hit it.

The FIRREA agencies were permitted to begin setting higher pay scales than the rest of the federal government but comparable to each other to deal with private sector competition. However, adjusted for locale, Office of Thrift Supervision Senior Deputy Director Scott Polakoff--roughly equivalent to Skiles--made $245,000 including locality pay in 2006, according to Asbury. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Senior Deputy Controller Julie Williams made $220,000 including locality pay. The OCC voluntarily caps staff pay at the vice president's level, but OTS does not while FDIC caps most positions.

"It is interesting how here is higher than the other agencies," NCUA Vice Chairman Rodney Hood commented, adding that it should be studied.

NTEU's Kelley pointed to the discrepancy between the management receiving higher pay than the other FIRREA agencies and the rest of the staff earning 18-23% less than the FDIC, which is also represented by NTEU. "That's a pretty clear message of what you think of them," she said of NCUA management's attitude toward the staff.

"I have a hard time with anybody [at the agency] making more than the vice president of the United States," he said. Dick Cheney disclosed earlier this year that his 2006 tax return included $208,575 in government pay. With locality pay, a handful of the NCUA senior staff earn more than that.

The Seventh Floor

NCUA's seventh floor in Alexandria houses the NCUA Board members and their staff. The board's salary is set by statute with the chairman earning $154,600 in 2007 and Vice Chairman Hood and Board Member Gigi Hyland at $145,400.

The ironic thing that sometimes happens at the agency is that the board's staff ends up making more than the board members themselves. Already Hyland's Senior Policy Advisor Gary Kohn is making $150,290; he is also maxed out in his current pay band. Additionally, Director of Public and Congressional Affairs John McKechnie's salary exceeds his boss', the chairman, at $165,217 representing a 3.60% increase over last year.

Hood's Senior Policy Advisor Carlton Hoskins

was unable to surpass his boss despite a 15.38% increase over the previous year bumping him up to $132,896. Hood's Staff Assistant Sally Ridgely Thompson got a whopping 36.36% increase, earning her $53,159 in 2007.

"They had a banner year and I wanted to reward that," Hood explained. He noted that political appointees do not have to complete performance reviews, but he does them for his staff "for good corporate governance."

Hoskins and Thompson were also provided small cash incentives, according to Hood, for meeting certain goals he set for them. He also pointed out that he left them with plenty of room to grow into the future.

--scooke@cutimes.com

Instant Insights /

NCUA Salaries: Lack of Bargaining Agreement Halts Pay Adjustments; Senior Staff Exceed Vice President, Other FIRREA Agencies

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