Federal Employee Union news

[James48843]

I noticed that nowhere do we have a unique thread for Union employees to gather, and post info about union news.

therefore, here is a thread to do that, for anyone with an interest in Federal Employee Union news and information.

[buda]

Will be in Vegas for the CPL-33 National Convention in about two weeks...anyone here going to be present?

[James48843]

By the way-

this is the state of labor relations in my agency. Hope yours isn't on the same course as mine:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=V77nU34uoY8

[James48843]

From today's Govexec.com
http://govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37967&dcn=todaysnews



Arbitrator rules against SEC pay-for-performance system
By Alyssa Rosenberg arosenberg@govexec.com (arosenberg@govexec.com)
September 7, 2007


A mediator ruled on Thursday that the pay-for-performance system adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2003 is illegal because it resulted in discrimination against African-Americans and employees who are 40 and older.

"This decision should serve as yet another warning against rushing to implement pay-for-performance systems in the federal workplace," National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley said. "The SEC system failed because it lacks fairness, credibility and transparency, which are critical elements in any merit-based pay system."

"We are reviewing the decision and considering appropriate action," SEC spokesman John Heine said. He declined to comment on what those actions might be. Both SEC and NTEU have 60 days to propose remedies to the arbitrator from the National Arbitration Center.

NTEU has filed separate grievances against the agency on behalf of the 2,200 SEC employees the union represents for every year the system has been in place. It remains to be seen whether those grievances will be addressed separately.

SEC implemented the pay-for-performance system after the Federal Service Impasses Panel found in a November 2002 ruling that the agency's proposal "reflects a pay structure that was well-researched, based on best practices from other agencies, meets the agency's needs, and is comparable to those of other financial regulatory agencies." That ruling was in response to an impasse in negotiations over 2002 pay increases for SEC employees.

The system split SEC employees into 15 pay levels with up to 31 steps in each level. Outstanding employees could receive raises of up to three steps within a level each year, or about 4.5 percent of their salaries.
But, NTEU argued, the agency based the raises on vague performance requirements that were not specific to the jobs the union's members performed.

"The agency success factors were clearly not 'tailored' for each office and division in the agency," NTEU's brief for the case stated. "The failure to use tailored factors was deeply prejudicial to employees, who had little way to know what their supervisors or the compensation committee were looking for in making merit award decisions."

In particular, NTEU said the subjective nature of the performance metrics adversely affected African-American employees, especially those at higher pay grades. A statistical analysis performed for the union showed that only 16 percent of African-American SEC employees received raises of three steps, while 30 percent of white employees received those maximum raises. Ten percent of African-American employees received no merit-based pay increase, compared to only 6 percent of white employees.
That analysis also revealed that while half of SEC employees were 40 or older, 67 percent of the employees who received no merit-based pay increase fell into that age range, and those older employees received only 45 percent of the three step increases.

"The lesson to be learned is the foundation of a viable pay-for-performance system is built upon the foundation of a solid performance management system," said John Palguta, vice president for policy at the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service. "If that foundation is not solid, attempts at pay for performance can and probably will go awry."
But both Palguta and Kelley said the ruling should not discredit pay-for-performance systems, but rather, provide an incentive to get them to work properly.

"There is no question that a system intended to reward high-performing employees should be crafted in conjunction with employees and their representatives," Kelley said, adding NTEU already is working with SEC on its performance management and pay systems.

"The value of a performance-sensitive approach to pay is that it forces managers to take the performance management system seriously since they will have to be able to explain their decisions," Palguta said. "Done correctly, a good performance system helps insulate a manager against claims of bias or favoritism."

Kelley said the ruling was further proof that reliance on the Federal Service Impasses Panel can produce bad policy for agencies reluctant to negotiate with their unions.

"The best agreements are those reached and agreed to at the bargaining table by both parties," she said. "The second-best option is bringing in a neutral mediator, when necessary, to aid that process. Too often in this environment, agencies are going to the FSIP to get their proposals imposed. This is an example where such a strategy has backfired on the agency."

[SkyPilot]

It would seem that various federal unions would have an interest in any changes proposed to how constituent retirement rules and regulations are adjusted and amended, i.e., fees and fines related to IFTs.

[JOVARN]

The pay for performance at the VA is going to be a failure as the qualification standards for the Nurses are based on a score of Satisfactory, highly satisfactory and outstanding. If you are rated outstanding you can not be awarded additional pay as the outstanding rating is based on your performance expectation while on the job and that is part of your evaluation which gave you the outstanding rating. It is a violation of law to pay someone additional sums of money or give monetary awards based on the present rating system.
So nurses cannot be given raises for meeting one of the three performance standards.
This makes no sense, but not much that comes out of VA central office regarding nursing ever did.
The good old girl network is alive and well and residing at the VA.

[Gilligan]

"I posted this in the Real Estate thread, but another member suggested that I post it here as well."

Due to many Government employees facing mortgage payment problems, the AFGE has launched the “Save My Home” Hotline at 1-866-490-5361 that will provide free, confidential advice from HUD-certified housing counselors.
http://www.afge.org/index.cfm?fuse=c...contentID=1300

[James48843]

From Govexec.com today:


Union files Supreme Court appeal of NSPS lawsuit
By Brittany R. Ballenstedt
January 7, 2008

A federal labor union on Monday filed an appeal with the Supreme Court against the Defense Department's new personnel system.

The American Federation of Government Employees filed a petition with the high court, asking it to hear a case on the legality of the National Security Personnel System's labor relations rules for civilian employees.
In May, a panel of judges for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled (http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0507/051807b1.htm) that under the 2004 law allowing NSPS, Defense has the authority to limit the collective bargaining rights of its civilian employees through November 2009. In August, the coalition's request for a full court review of that ruling was denied (http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0807/081307ag2.htm).

The union's move comes just weeks after Congress passed authorizing legislation that would restore the collective bargaining and appeal rights of employees and modify the way across-the-board and performance-based pay increases are awarded. While the union called the legislation "an acceptable compromise," it indicated plans to move forward with the Supreme Court petition if the legislation was not signed by Jan. 7 -- the Supreme Court-issued deadline for an appeal.

Last week, President Bush pocket-vetoed the authorizing legislation over an unrelated provision that would open up the Iraqi government to lawsuits.

AFGE has pursued the case (http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0907/091207b1.htm) with eight other unions in the United Defense Workers Coalition. But in weighing a Supreme Court appeal, the other unions dropped out of the case, noting fear that an unfavorable ruling by the high court could set a broad precedent that could hinder the ability to negotiate in the federal sector.

[James48843]

From today's http://govexec.com

Feds need more respect, better benefits, says congressman

By Alyssa Rosenberg arosenberg@govexec.com (arosenberg@govexec.com)
March 7, 2008


Strong leadership, workplace flexibilities and respect for employees are key to improving morale and performance at federal agencies, a freshman Democratic lawmaker told members of the National Treasury Employees Union on Thursday.

"The right kind of leadership on all levels can turn [federal agencies] around pretty quick," said Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., during the closing session of the union's legislative conference. Sarbanes, who has spent much of his first term working on federal employee issues, is the son of former Democratic Sen. Paul Sarbanes of Maryland. "As much as it's a disservice not to support the federal workforce; at the end of the day, it's a disservice to the public."

Sarbanes is a co-sponsor of the Telework Improvement Act (http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:h4106ih.txt.pdf), which would expand telework opportunities for federal employees. That bill (http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39414&sid=59) passed the House Oversight and Government Reform Workforce Subcommittee on a 3-0 vote on Feb. 29. Sarbanes also authored a provision of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:h2669enr.txt.pdf) that reduces monthly payments and provides loan forgiveness for students who perform 10 years of public service work.

Sarbanes said his first term in Congress has been informative, teaching him to trust front-line employees more than the Bush administration, which he criticized.

"One of the things that you come away with, you start to form an impression," Sarbanes said. "Having sat through the testimony of the folks at the front lines and unpersuasive testimony of people at the highest levels, it's like there's been an orchestrated attack on federal employees."

He joked that it was almost as if there was "a handbook saying 'how do you undermine the reputation of good government?' I have no hard evidence that such a book exists, but I have circumstantial evidence."

Sarbanes set a reformist tone, which NTEU President Colleen Kelley echoed in her remarks about a bill Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., chairman of the Federal Workforce Subcommittee, introduced on Thursday that would raise the age (http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39465&dcn=todaysnews) from 22 to 25 for dependents covered under the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program.

"[The Office of Personnel Management] opposes [the legislation]," Kelley said. "That's OK. They've opposed a lot of things we've made happen, and supported a lot of things we've crushed."

Kelley made it clear that NTEU planned an aggressive legislative and political campaign throughout the year. She announced the union's political engagement awards for its People Organized to Win Employee Rights campaign, commending Internal Revenue Service locals in Akron, Ohio; Central Florida, St. Paul, Minn.; St. Louis, Mo.; the Customs and Border Protection local in El Paso, Texas; and the Transportation Security Administration local in Atlanta.

NTEU and other federal employee groups hope that Congress's preoccupation with more politically sensitive issues this election year will make legislation addressing workforce concerns easier to pass (http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?filepath=/dailyfed/1107/112707ar1.htm).

Sarbanes said that federal employee issues set the standard for private industry.

"I regard unions and an organized workforce as one of the best sources of creative thinking that there is when it comes to improving the productivity and competitiveness of the American workforce," he said. "You are the forefront. You're starting to model the things that will be at the center of the health care debate and at the center of improving conditions for the American workforce."

Source:
http://govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39480&dcn=todaysnews