Return to Article: Unions call for repeal of law authorizing new Defense personnel system
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10770
"I must admit, even after 6 years as a DAC, I'd never really seen a need for a union. As a retired military, I've actually been conditioned against them. Other than my GI Bill earned college training, I knew little and cared less about unions. "
Give me a break - you were part of the biggest union in the world only you call it the US military! You have great retirement, insurance, housing, education and all other benefits. You also have preference in hiring as long as you stay in the government and your union negotiates many special pricing deals with a lot of private sector businesses. You also think you should get free college benefits for your kids and list a residence anywhere you served that does not require income or other taxes.
The US military is the biggest and most powerful union in the world!
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10578
Kudos to "Engineer" in DC. Para. 2 spells out the problems with the new system!! Most succinct analysis I've seen yet!
Same to HR Specialist!
"when your agency decides to take back AWS ..."
This is exactly what happened to me.
A lousy but obstinate boss (whom I pray will NEVER control my pay) did one good thing for our section. She implemented the Alternate Work Schedule in our shop because she wanted to use it. For 3 years we labored in a manpower shortage that caused our new hires to rotate through like a revolving door, leaving as soon as they got their feet in the DAC door and could exit gracefully to better climes. Our only saving grace was the SDO. When that boss finally departed, the organization's Assistant Director (newly retired COL) convinced the Director (soon to be retiring LTC) to stop all participation in AWS. No explanation, no complaints, no additional manpower.
Well, back in the late 70's I worked for MTMCTEA. I read their analysis on AWS's impact on operational hours (extended), traffic patterns (lessened/relieved congestion), and worker participation (ecstatic/morale soared); even used it in as reference material towards my MBA.
Analysis from a business perspective? It just makes sense. Helps the customer, helps the organization, cuts traffic problems and absenteeism. When I had the opportunity, I took advantage of it. My wife and I are on the same schedule.
I must admit, even after 6 years as a DAC, I'd never really seen a need for a union. As a retired military, I've actually been conditioned against them. Other than my GI Bill earned college training, I knew little and cared less about unions.
But when people change standard operations and impact on quality-of-life due to arbitrary and capricious whims, well, this normally "Salute-&-March-on" retiree gets his ruff up.
In brief, I contacted the Union. They stood up for us and the status quo continues with no loss in productivity or morale. Needless to say, I am now a dues paying member.
Thank you, Mr. Union Rep.
Tip out.
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10157
I have been a Federal employee for 22 years. I have gone through quite a few managers and have found many that are good and fair and some that don't even meet minimal standards and I wonder how the heck they got into management positions. It is the "less than standard" managers that I fear will exploit more "less than standard" employees leaving hard working people in a failing position. I have seen it - and am still seeing it. Didn't the Unions begin by representing the people - BY the people. If the United States has a Militia (born of the Constitution) in order to overthrow a "tyrinous" Government, then why would we let all that work "by the people" be turned over to be ruled by one person, namely Mr. Rumsfeld?
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10141
Point - Unions did not put the airlines and car companies out of business! The companies put themselves out of business. The airlines agreed to all the Union demands and now cannot pay the price! In fact, the Unions have agreed to reduced salaries and benefits! GM has been reducing value for decades - it's not a recent thing. If GM is hurting so much why are they investing billions in China? GM has greater value if sold in pieces rather than continuing as a going concern. UAW is working at the new BMW, Hyundai, and Honda plants now in the USA and they seem to be able to compete. Maybe the car companies you talk about have bad products, top heavy managements and employees in management that do not believe they are going down the drain! Seems to me that Ford and GM need to get rid of a third of their managers and reduce the salaries of those remaining by at least 30%. Then they can start on the unions.
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9927
I have yet to hear how many DOD employees are actually paying members of a union. I know of many who are represented (supposedly) and neither members or those represented have seen anything done.
How interesting that in the governmentwide OPM survey most employees gave positive answers to the capabilities and honesty of their supervisors/leaders. We need everyone to do their best at work and to be rewarded for it. I don't agree with all parts of NSPS, but unfortunately, the form letters sent by the union (I oppose everything) were 2/3 or more of what was seen and provided no value. Who cares about local collective bargaining? My boss has always had the right to assign me work and to send me TDY, what's new? He/she has also given me performance evaluations including bonuses, step increases (QSI) or nothing. At least now there will be a board of members reviewing what has been done and you can refute it. I don't agree with the discrimination against older workers by topping them out at the top of their bands and decreasing their retirement benefits. Little mention was made of this, thanks unions! Individuals have always been rewarded based on how well they got along with their bosses (good old boys clubs!). I wish we would focus on keeping the Cost of Living Increases in our pay as they were not based on performance as long as you are performing in a acceptable manner. Not of interest to the union. Those of us who have reached the top end of whatever pay band we are in will have our retirements frozen and we are usually too old to amass the extra funds to make up for the decrease in our retirement checks. Why not fight about that and it should be at the national, not local level!!The unions have put the airlines and car manufacturers almost out of business because of high wages and benefits. The leaders should take some basic business courses and read the financial pages. Why do you think all of the jobs are going overseas. Why should a baggage handler for an airline get paid more than an engineer and get much better benefits. Come on, lets get real! Exasperated 25+ year Navy civilian
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9926
I have yet to hear how many DOD employees are actually paying members of a union. I know of many who are represented (supposedly) and neither members or those represented have seen anything done.
How interesting that in the Federal Wide OPM Survey most employees gave positive answers to the capabilities and honesty of their supervisors/leaders. We need everyone to do their best at work and to be rewarded for it. I don't agree with all parts of NSPS, but unfortunately, the form letters sent by the union (I oppose everything) were 2/3 or more of what was seen and provided no value. Who cares about local collective bargaining? My boss has always had the right to assign me work and to send me TDY, what's new? He/she has also given me performance evaluations including bonuses, step increases (QSI) or nothing. At least now there will be a board of members reviewing what has been done and you can refute it. I don't agree with the discrimination against older workers by topping them out at the top of their bands and decreasing their retirement benefits. Little mention was made of this, thanks unions! Individuals have always been rewarded based on how well they got along with their bosses (good old boys clubs!). I wish we would focus on keeping the Cost of Living Increases in our pay as they are not to be based on performance as long as you are performing in a satisfactory manner. Not of interest to the union. Those of us who have reached the top end of whatever pay band we are in will have are retirements frozen and we are usually too old to amass the extra funds to make up for the depletion in our retirement checks. Why not fight about that and it should be at the national, not local level!!! The unions have put the airlines and car manufacturers almost out of business because of high wages and benefits. The leaders should take some basic business courses and read the financial pages. Why do you think all of the jobs are going overseas? Why should a baggage handler for an airline get paid more than an engineer and get much better benefits. Come on, let's get real! Exasperated 25+ year Navy civilian
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9870
This is what I wrote to NSPS and I would like to share it here also. "The NSPS uses a sledgehammer to fix small problems in the GS system. Years ago, there were good reasons why the Gov't went to a GS system and I guess we will have to re-learn those lessons. The only question now is how much pain will we have to endure before the 'powers that be' realize that NSPS will not work. In my view, here are the main problems with NSPS.
1) I have worked for the gov't and private industry. The main reasons I decided that gov't work was better was the job security. [It certainly was not the money. I did and can make more in private industry.] This job security makes it easier to be honest with my boss and my customers and to make the correct decisions on the projects I work on. How much harder will it be and how many more issues will be buried by taking away that job security? Personally, I find this very scary.
2) NSPS makes a series of assumptions that I don't find credible: A) gov't managers have the ability and training to accurately measure performance; B) all the money sent to a command for raises will be used for raises; C) money set aside by Congress for raises will not be cut to fund other projects; D) gov't managers & political appointees will not use personal favoritism when awarding bonuses/raises.
3) There is no proof that pay demo (which NSPS was based) worked because there was no study to find out.
4) If NSPS is going to take away job security and reduce the appeals process, why should the best & the brightest civil service worker stay with the gov't. Even if they max out the raises/bonuses, they still can make more money in private industry. (This is what I am considering now.)
I write these comments, not because I think that that anyone will listen. That became obvious when the Union was given no opportunity to influence the process or comment until recently, with no guarantee anything they would say would change NSPS. I write these comments because someone has to stand up and say these things.
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9846
Test and Evaluation Manager,
You may be right, but think about a reverse mindset that is also rather prevalent. "There is no work ethic in young workers." I believe that there will be many offices/agencies where young workers go because they are the ones "always looking for ways to get out of doing any real work."
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9826
This is turning into a Union bashing discussion. The professional government worker and the non-union DoD worker show their total ignorance of the impact of the union movement in this country. Without the unions we would be working six (possibly seven) days a week for 12 hours a day. We would have no retirement benefits or health care. There would be no paid sick leave and likely little or no vacation time. Salaries would be far lower than they are today. The non-union guy clearly doesn't know what he is talking about because it is not the unions that generated today's problems it is the greedy companies that gave in to the union requests. Now the greedy companies are dropping the union gained benefits as fast as possible and blaming the unions for the company's own weakness that gave the benefits. When you knock unions you should do it out of knowledge and not out of emotion. Neither of you ever worked in a situation that required organized labor to gain basic rights in saftey and service. Ask any coal miner. I think these guys will be the first to holler about outsourcing of their jobs but the unions probably will be who they blame. The professional does not know the meaning of the word or he would not be a government employee, he would be professional and go compete!
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9819
Go unions! Someone needs to stand up for us. The majority of the people here do not have the back bone to stand up for themselves, muchless others. Remember one group at a time and then they will come for you. The younger folks have a long time to live with a system that will do nothing for them. I find it hard to believe all of the younger folks are willing to suck up to get anywhere. That is where the National Shaft the Personnel System is going. Your chioce sit back and accept it without a fight and you will have no one to blame but themeslves. Me? I prefer to fight as I have previously to allow you this ability to chose to be a wimp.
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9815
NSPS will probably impact the elderly more then any other group. Since, I believe that many younger people believe that the elderly are not capable of performing as they do. This misconception will probably lead to older employees being targeted for downgraded or worse. NSPS will make it possible for a "merit system" to become open-season for anyone with a bias.
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9813
Dear Schlepper and Professional,
Although you may not realize it, you two are in perfect agreement! WHAT? Yes, you both are espousing the correct answer ...one must look out for one's self.
Mr./Ms. Professional prefers to couch it as: Unions evil, only fools want them - smart people take responsibility for themselves whilst the Schlepper slyly notes that: smart people will support who and whatever policy the dictator holding sway over their income earning potential implicity or explicitly demands of them.
It all means the same thing... good business practice is simply making the maximum return for the minimum outlay. In short, if you can slip in late to work without consequence, go ahead and grab that extra sleep (or take the less expensive but slower commute) LOOK OUT FOR #1. Remember, you are selling your body for a set wage and if it was not helping them, they would not buy it... why buy the cow if the milk is free!
Remember the free milk story next time you brag on having re-elected 'ol lizard brain.
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9812
Ok Mr. Professional Government Employee-- when your agency decides to take back AWS, Credit hours, telework, daycare and transit subsidies and all the other hard fought benefits which Unions won-- don't cry.
And while your benevolent employer decides to outsource your job or RIF you-- please don't come crying to whatever tattered remains are left of an employee association.
Quite frankly I don't understand how professionals can survive without a union-- those crying docters and lawyers who are being beaten up sure could use some collective bargaining.
Yes, Mr. Professional Government Worker-- we should all give up collective bargaining and throw ourselves on the mercy of our employers-- it certainly works well at Walmart! Everybody should have so benevolent and caring an employer as Walmart or how about US Airways-- now there is a great employer-- No Pension plans but one great employer.
The silliness I keep hearing that there is no place for Unions among professionals just makes me laugh-- the day the US attorneys are organized by NTEU in Miami because they have all been cheated out of overtime is the day the President decides to bar collective bargaining in these offices. Professionals need Unions just as much as blue collar workers-- you can be sure this is very, very true.
HR Specialist
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9811
I used to work at DoD. I used to belong to a union. The dues went to pay for an occasional picnic or finance the annual union officer conferences (I mean, boondoggles). Personally, I wish I had back every dime that I paid in dues.
Only the employees that are currently being stepped on at the agency consult the union - the rest either leave the agency or bear with it. Why? Because union stewards ultimately draw a paycheck from the same source as the agrieved. The ones with high ideals get burned out quickly by the agency's corrupt management structure. This was at least the case where I drew my last civil service paycheck.
But answer this question: Who else but the union is taking an official stand against National Shaft the Personnel System?? What's the alternative?
Ex-Dod
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9808
Who do these union officials think they are?? Jimmy Hoffa?? They have watched too many movies about unions and blue collar workers. Unions have no place in the federal government. They take the federal work force that they represent to the lowest level. Since when did the federal government employee people in traditional union jobs such as dock workers, assembly line workers and janitors. How do you feel being compared to union man who has to go to the union hall to get a job. It is amazing that you all do not have any self respect and are just sheeples following these wanna be Jimmy Hoffa's. Grow up and be professional!
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9804
Mr. Ault, union members are already paying for something of very little value. On top of that, the petty, obstructionist ways of unions as they exist today costs union members and the rest of us taxpayers billions and lessens our security posture. We are in agreement that Congress has passed some bad laws - especially labor laws that have allowed unions to be the disasterous drag on our national economy that they currently are. This entire NSPS sound-off is just this particular wholly-owned susidary of the corrupt Democratic Party's sorry attempt to gain power they continue to lose at the ballot box.
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9799
This is the most underhanded thing I have seen in my 28 years with the government. The Congress is letting these butchers get away with trampling on good honest people just because they are in a Union. We the people should stand up to these bully's and stop them. I don't belong to a Union but feel strongly that people have the right to collective bargaining and maintain decent working conditions. Unions are not perfect but this administration is far from winning the hearts and minds of the people on this one.
I will take the Unions side because they are right, not because they are Unions. Be fair and everybody wins, cheat and no one wins.
Shameful people.
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9791
NSPS is nothing but an assault on the civil service. I get a laugh about the reference to a performance system. We will be buying tickets to political beer busts.
Some managers are in for a shock. I have been buying tickets for all the parties and I will cashier a few of them. To the victor....
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