Return to Article: OMB not deterred by DHS personnel reform setback
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11915
The suggestion that the "Working for America Act" does not impact collective bargaining issues to any great degree is at best misleading. In addition to the practical elimination of status quo ante remedies and their power to deter unlawful conduct and the expansion of emergency exigency further limiting the scope of bargaining in the federal sector, many of the structural criticisms of the HSLRB at DHS set forth by Judge Collyer apply to the changes proposed for the FLRA in the WFAA.
The FLRA was modeled on the National Labor Relations Board. The legislation creating the NLRB speaks to a five-member Board who are members of both political parties. The three member Authority is also made up of members of both political parties. The word Authority in the FSLMRS was not a legislative whim and the replacement of that word with Chairman is no minor change.
The proposed changes in the WFAA for the FLRA concentrates all power in a single Chairman rather than a collegial, consultative three-member Authority with the Chairman as CEO. The Taft-Hartley Act implemented the concept of an independent General Counsel at the Board rather than having the Board serve as investigator, judge, and jury. The concentration of power at the FLRA in the Chairman is counterintuitive to the concept of an independent General Counsel and a collegial, consultative body. The FLRA, tasked with protecting collective bargaining and democracy in the work place in the federal government, is very much in danger of loosing its own independent and democratic nature. WFAA takes the FLRA away from the model established with the creation of the NLRB, which has served America well since the 1930s to promote industrial peace and protect democracy in the work place, and moves it as closely to the DHS and HSLRB model as is possible without straining the identity of the FLRA past any remaining credibility.
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11710
I will say this the day they go to pay for performance I will do little if anything and just enough to stay employed. This administration puts scrooge to shame. Right now I take on so much more than my job requires that I live for the challenge, but there is a limit to what I will take. Also lets pay Bush on the same grounds after his last poll score I say he should pay us.
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11701
Clay Johnson is a failed catalog salesman. Why should we believe anything he says?
Karen, please keep pointing out the half-truths and white lies that emerge whenever Clay opens his mouth.
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11694
To paraphrase an old saying: whom the gods destroy they first make mad.
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11691
That's Chutzpah in the positive sense-- loosely translated as "moxie", "guts", a willingness to tell the government it is wrong.
And why is this comment coming from OMB-- maybe because OPM- the premier federal HR agency is owned, and operated by the accountants at OMB. It's so nice to see that the head HR professional and CHCO for the entire federal government at OPM is a CFO from OMB.
Here is my advice to the administration-- just close OPM and create a new division within OMB called Human Capital management and have it report many levels down through the facilities and operations management because to this administration it is quite obvious that federal employees rank somewhere between computers and desk furniture.
HR Specialist
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11690
Congress should really put a stop to this lunacy immediately. The real problem is that OPM has given up all leadership in HR reform and just wants agencies to craft their own HR systems as if we were all separate companies. This is sheer madness.
Civilian Career federal employees at DoD and DHS should have the same rights and responsibilities as their counterparts at USDA, DOC, DOE, DOT, DOI, etc.. etc.. etc...
We've had a system in place for decades-- any HR specialist with experience will tell you the system needs to be repaired, but with consultation from all stakeholders working within the system-- but to say that National Security requires DoD management to strip an accountant working in the Pentagon of their due process rights is simply absurd and criminal.
It's time for Congress to step up to the plate and the stop the lunacy before the lunacy destroys the American Federal Civil Service. Thank G-d there is at least one judge with common sense, decency, and a good dose of Chutzpah.
HR Specialist
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11686
Karen,
Nice piece, but you make it sound like the NSPS garbage is really a good idea with just a few parts needing a little fixin.
You outlined three seriously failed parts and none of the acceptable parts.
Where is the story on the good parts? I, for one, will be affected by this seriously flawed idea and want to know what will I be subjected to when they ram it down our throats.
Maybe you are one of those perfect Republicans that make excuses for Mr. King George and his band of thugs.
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11685
This is as stupid as forcing everyone to use accural accounting. OMB can never admit when it is flat out wrong! Even the courts tell them they are wrong and they simply continue because that is what they want. They should try to do something that is correct for government and not what they think is right. We didn't elect these jug heads and we will not re-elect their bosses next chance we get.
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11684
From what I have read about this new system it severly limits the employee and sets up a favoritism-based system. Not that this system is perfect but the new system looks much worse. With the supervisor having the kind of power in this new system they will be rewarding those they like more that those who deserve it. I see it now but know it will only get worse in this new system.
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11680
I think it is time that we all sit down and write down everything this administration has done in the past few years. The reason for writing it down is that you need to remember these things when you go to the polls next time. It is the people we put into office to represent us that seem to think they "know what's best" for us. The opposition to the personnel reforms are huge throughout the entire federal workforce. A message to all federal employees, if you are not actively involved in a union, then maybe it is time you step up to the plate and help defend our rights. Please help fight this beast...support your local union because they are fighting everyday in every way to support you.
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