The OPM finally stopped ignoring the reality of Orlando and approved the locality pay adjustment we demanded. They tried to pretend our cost of living was invisible but our pressure forced their hand. We won this fight for every VA employee who was sick of being underpaid while the city …
November 7, 2022
Final supporters
October 18, 2022
Orlando VA-Lake Nona
13800 Veterans Way
Orlando, FL 32827
Dear Representative Demings,
You, more than anyone, know the growth our City Beautiful has had recently. Over the past six years Orlando has added an average of 138 new residents per day. As the nation’s 5th, fastest growing metropolitan area and with a current population of over 2 million citizens, Orlando metro’s great growth warrants a shift in the way the Federal Government views the city’s identity.
The Orlando Veteran’s Health Administration in the novel “Medical City” of Lake Nona is a state-of-the-art medical complex and beacon of hope for the nearly half a million veterans that call Orlando home. Unfortunately, because of inadequate review of current criteria and perhaps poor advocacy on our behalf, the premier medical center for veteran healthcare in the south is facing a dilemma. As it stands currently, for the purposes of locality pay, Orlando is lumped in generically with the catch-all pay of nearly 3000 other pay localities. This, despite its rank as the 22nd largest metro area in the Nation according to the US Census Bureau. Because of this, the Orlando VHA is either forced to select from a limited pool of prospective employees or bring in contract workers which come with premiums of up to 50% more than regular employees, plus benefits.
Fortunately, we see an easy solution to the dilemma. We are requesting your support in advocating for Orlando’s inclusion in the General Schedule Locality pay of the MIAMI-FORT LAUDERDALE-PORT ST. LUCIE, FL GS Locality. This will change Orlando’s current 16% locality pay, shared by all other rural and less populated areas, to 22%; a 6% difference. A jump in locality pay will help the Orlando VA add to its current arsenal of specialized healthcare providers and give veterans the resources available and necessary to maximize access to world-renown healthcare.
Miami will not be so “south” with the completion of Bright-Line speed train to connect both Miami and Orlando in 2023. Including Orlando with the Miami Area locality group will not only amplify her identify with the neighboring metropolitan cities but will provide the largest healthcare system in the nation with greater resources to recruit skilled employees and medical staff.
We are so proud to have you serving.
Sincerely,
Employees of the Orlando Veteran’s Health Administration and her Veterans.
Updates
November 2, 2022
We just hit 250 signatures and the suits at the VA cannot ignore the reality of these numbers anymore. Representative Demings is still dragging her feet while our medical staff struggles to make ends meet in this city. This is only the beginning of turning up the heat on the people refusing to pay us what we earned.
Reached 250 supporters
October 31, 2022
Reached 100 supporters
October 21, 2022
158 Comments
We are having huge staffing shortages because employees leave to take higher paying positions at other Orlando hospitals (Advent Health, ORMC, etc.). Please consider our request to help make the Orlando VA a desirable place to work again. Thank you.
I support this request through petition. How can we attract and retain the best employees if most cannot even afford to live within commuting distance. As a veteran of the reserves, I believe all veterans deserve the best treatment. To do so, the VAH needs the best employees.
Rep. Demings we need your support in advocating for Orlando’s inclusion in the General Schedule Locality pay of the MIAMI-FORT LAUDERDALE-PORT ST. LUCIE, FL GS Locality. This will change Orlando’s current 16% locality pay, shared by all other rural and less populated areas, to 22%; a 6% difference.
High cost of living in Central Florida is impossible to live in Florida. This is evident with the turn around that we have in ORMC of professional workers leaving the system or moving out to a different VA for example Tampa, Bay Pines VA have a higher pay than Orlando and GS scale for Med Tech.
For a VA the size of the Orlando VA Healthcare System, in a city as large as Orlando, competitive pay is paramount in not only hiring the best, but in retaining them. This locality surprised me when I moved from Cleveland (significantly higher) to Florida last year and I think this is past due.
Yea!
Orlando should be be included in the General Schedule Locality pay of the MIAMI-FORT LAUDERDALE-PORT ST. LUCIE, Palm Bay FL GS Locality.
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The OPM finally stopped ignoring the reality of Orlando and approved the locality pay adjustment we demanded. They tried to pretend our cost of living was invisible but our pressure forced their hand. We won this fight for every VA employee who was sick of being underpaid while the city …
November 7, 2022
Final supporters
October 18, 2022
Orlando VA-Lake Nona
13800 Veterans Way
Orlando, FL 32827
Dear Representative Demings,
You, more than anyone, know the growth our City Beautiful has had recently. Over the past six years Orlando has added an average of 138 new residents per day. As the nation’s 5th, fastest growing metropolitan area and with a current population of over 2 million citizens, Orlando metro’s great growth warrants a shift in the way the Federal Government views the city’s identity.
The Orlando Veteran’s Health Administration in the novel “Medical City” of Lake Nona is a state-of-the-art medical complex and beacon of hope for the nearly half a million veterans that call Orlando home. Unfortunately, because of inadequate review of current criteria and perhaps poor advocacy on our behalf, the premier medical center for veteran healthcare in the south is facing a dilemma. As it stands currently, for the purposes of locality pay, Orlando is lumped in generically with the catch-all pay of nearly 3000 other pay localities. This, despite its rank as the 22nd largest metro area in the Nation according to the US Census Bureau. Because of this, the Orlando VHA is either forced to select from a limited pool of prospective employees or bring in contract workers which come with premiums of up to 50% more than regular employees, plus benefits.
Fortunately, we see an easy solution to the dilemma. We are requesting your support in advocating for Orlando’s inclusion in the General Schedule Locality pay of the MIAMI-FORT LAUDERDALE-PORT ST. LUCIE, FL GS Locality. This will change Orlando’s current 16% locality pay, shared by all other rural and less populated areas, to 22%; a 6% difference. A jump in locality pay will help the Orlando VA add to its current arsenal of specialized healthcare providers and give veterans the resources available and necessary to maximize access to world-renown healthcare.
Miami will not be so “south” with the completion of Bright-Line speed train to connect both Miami and Orlando in 2023. Including Orlando with the Miami Area locality group will not only amplify her identify with the neighboring metropolitan cities but will provide the largest healthcare system in the nation with greater resources to recruit skilled employees and medical staff.
We are so proud to have you serving.
Sincerely,
Employees of the Orlando Veteran’s Health Administration and her Veterans.
Updates
November 2, 2022
We just hit 250 signatures and the suits at the VA cannot ignore the reality of these numbers anymore. Representative Demings is still dragging her feet while our medical staff struggles to make ends meet in this city. This is only the beginning of turning up the heat on the people refusing to pay us what we earned.
Reached 250 supporters
October 31, 2022
Reached 100 supporters
October 21, 2022
158 Comments
We have 500,000 local veterans in Orlando. One of the largest and fastest growing VA communities in the nation. We should get an increase in locality pay and not be on the same level as a rural community.
We are having huge staffing shortages because employees leave to take higher paying positions at other Orlando hospitals (Advent Health, ORMC, etc.). Please consider our request to help make the Orlando VA a desirable place to work again. Thank you.
I support this request through petition. How can we attract and retain the best employees if most cannot even afford to live within commuting distance. As a veteran of the reserves, I believe all veterans deserve the best treatment. To do so, the VAH needs the best employees.
Rep. Demings we need your support in advocating for Orlando’s inclusion in the General Schedule Locality pay of the MIAMI-FORT LAUDERDALE-PORT ST. LUCIE, FL GS Locality. This will change Orlando’s current 16% locality pay, shared by all other rural and less populated areas, to 22%; a 6% difference.
High cost of living in Central Florida is impossible to live in Florida. This is evident with the turn around that we have in ORMC of professional workers leaving the system or moving out to a different VA for example Tampa, Bay Pines VA have a higher pay than Orlando and GS scale for Med Tech.
For a VA the size of the Orlando VA Healthcare System, in a city as large as Orlando, competitive pay is paramount in not only hiring the best, but in retaining them. This locality surprised me when I moved from Cleveland (significantly higher) to Florida last year and I think this is past due.
Yea!
Orlando should be be included in the General Schedule Locality pay of the MIAMI-FORT LAUDERDALE-PORT ST. LUCIE, Palm Bay FL GS Locality.
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We have 500,000 local veterans in Orlando. One of the largest and fastest growing VA communities in the nation. We should get an increase in locality pay and not be on the same level as a rural community.