Return to Article: Pentagon likely to appeal ruling blocking labor relations reforms
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15458
Isn't Mr. England the same man who assured employees in DON "we will not implement NSPS until we are ready and not before"? Now it's push, push, push with a partial system until they can get their appeal through??? Does that sound "ready"? Why doesn't this surprise me one bit.
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15439
Typical DoD management response -- we expected this bad decision by the courts, however we believe it is a bad decision because it proves us wrong, therefore it cannot be right.
How many more millions of my limited federal pension is going to be continued to be wasted by DoD?
How long is Congress going to let this continue?
How long are federal employees going to let DoD and Congress continue their attacks on federal workers?
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15308
So, let me get this straight. Both DHS and DoD create new personnel systems that illegally restrict workers' rights. These systems are astonishingly similar. Employees and their unions object to them both on essentially the same grounds. These objections are so strong they lead to lawsuits. A federal judge rules the DHS system illegal. DHS is still determined to push the system through, despite knowing that it is illegal. After this ruling, DoD, whose system has the same illegal features, makes no attempt to change anything. A different federal judge rules NSPS illegal. The Deputy Secretary of Defense anticipated this ruling, but made no attempt whatsoever to prevent it. DoD is still determined to push NSPS through, despite knowing that it is illegal.
So we have two personnel systems that have been ruled illegal, at least one of which was known to be illegal at the time it was developed, by the admission of none less than the deputy secretary of Defense. No attempt was made to ensure that NSPS was developed in accordance with the law, again by the admission of the deputy secretary of Defense.
I conclude from this that Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England is, if not the principal in a federal crime, at least an accessory thereto. Why has he not yet been arrested? He knew a crime was being committed, by someone in his department, and even in the unlikely event that he himself was not involved in committing it, he knew about it, had the power to prevent or report it, and did nothing.
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15305
Go to the NSPS website to read the court's decision. The proposed system "eviscerates collective bargaining" according to the ruling.
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15283
I was interested in Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England's statement: "The Department of Defense, the way we operate, is the last vestige of communism outside Cuba in the world today ... We do central planning ... centrally controlled and with many, many layers." Does this mean that the Peoples Republic of China has slipped completely off DOD's radar screen?
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15264
We actually expected, anticipated the ruling yesterday," England said.
What a bad governmental leader. If he expected it, why didn't he fix it? England is not interested in doing what is correct -- he is interested in doing what he wants! This is the corporate ethic spawned with ERON, MIC, Health South, Tyco, and on and on. Go back there England -- they also do not do what is correct!
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15259
Somebody want to cue Gordon's handlers here please: Ya need to put a leash on that puppy boys. He's not helping your cause any. Careful, folks are gonna start believing some of the rumors about ole Gordie. Such as the one about choosing up sides for a team sport and it's pretty obvious Gordie is the kind of guy you don't want on your team. But, as I said, it's just a rumor. Look. Ya just don't need Gordie running his mouth publicly about expecting and anticipating a judge to rule against NSPS. Or as they say in my neighborhood, the Nations Shameful Political Spoils system. He's telling the whole world he knew it wasn't right in the first place. And now, he's saying out loud he intends to appeal until he gets what he wants. You don't think he's gonna look like a chump if he loses on appeal now do ya?! Making remarks like "Perhaps we'll even modify NSPS" is supposed to sound intelligent? Does he even grasp the concept he may not have a choice in the matter? And for crying out loud. Enough with the politically correct phrases like enhanced flexibility, replacing automatic annual raises, performance-based, etc, etc. It's so lame it's insulting. One last suggestion there boys. As a Vietnam vet with 37-plus years in the government, I really didn't appreciate that crack about DOD being "the last vestige of communism outside Cuba." That just did not sound very patriotic coming from the Deputy Secretary of Defense. While Gordie was out being, in the words of George Bush a "captain of industry" (whatever that is) many of the federal employees and vets around him were out winning the Cold War. See what I mean? Ole Gordie's exploits kindda pale in comparison, now don't they?
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15244
If I weren't already a union member, I would join now. And if that weren't enough, I would get active in the union.
Someone listen! In many instances the HR folks are saying the same things the unions are saying. Find agreement on what is broken, and work together to fix it.
Instead, we waste billions of taxpayer dollars that could go to supporting the war fighter (its the mission stupid). Yet the political leadership of DOD continues to drive the fantasy of having a workplace free of unions.
It will take a bigger man than Bush to pull that one off.
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15214
Re: the remarkable England statement: "The Department of Defense, the way we operate, is the last vestige of communism outside Cuba in the world today ... We do central planning ... centrally controlled and with many, many layers."
What a repulsive statement, especially since the administration he works for is practically Soviet when it comes to advocating worldwide "democratic" revolution as "creative destruction." Their vision of the world grows out of the same Trotskyite madness that advocated worldwide communist revolution, and now the entire public is at peril. About a year ago, Noam Chomsky wrote that -- with these people -- it's not that they want to see the public attacked again, it's just that protection of the public is not their highest priority. A remarkable article, I'll say.
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15206
Go ahead and waste more taxpayers' money fighting this in court. Just shows how King George and his royal court think they are above the law. Waste, fraud and abuse is the only way to describe the DoD's attempt to force NSPS down the throats of the employees and unions. All the money being wasted to develop NSPS and fight it in court would be much better spent on supplies for our troops.
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15196
"We will start implementing the HR part of it very shortly," England said. "We're going to move ahead as much as we can while this goes through the court system."
Of course you all realize that the only employees this applies to are all those without local union representation flying cover for them because it violates local union agreements.
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15195
Since the end of the Cold War, DOD has relentlessly pursued a strategy of centralization of business functions as a way of cutting costs. Their theory is that bigger is cheaper, maybe not effective, but cheaper. The department relies on mammoth centralized bureaucracies such as DFAS, regionalized HR offices, and regionalization of base operations in an effort to make things as cheap as possible. Now they are pushing for a one-size-fits-all personnel system (NSPS) at a time when industry is looking to tailored HR systems. If the DOD is hung up on central planning, people like England made it that way.
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15193
I wonder if the appeals process will include a federal judge hunting trip with Dick.
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15191
It's just not the same without Harry!!!!! Come on Harry . . . I apologized. What do you think it means when two judges say that these new pay for performance systems are unlawful? Why would the administration deliberately write unlawful personnel regulations? I know your job is to educate the masses but if I were an educator I wouldn't push unlawful practices on anybody. I haven't attacked you once (today) and I didn't reference any fictitious characters.
Un-Civil Servant
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15187
So let me get this straight: All this time, the NSPS brass has been trumpeting the new system as great and glorious. If you listen to Gordon England, it's the best personnel system the world has ever seen (and I'm going back 4-plus billion years here!). Mary Lacey describes it as an "elegant" system.
Despite all of this rhetoric, now England says that he "expected" the union's objections to stand. Huh? So, in spite of how fabulous he and his crew think it is, it doesn't surprise him that a federal judge viewed it as a bad idea. Hmmmmmm. That doesn't quite make sense. Something is rotten in Denmark.
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15185
NSPS is the administration's way of bringing back the old patronage system of boss buddies and inner circle. The only reason any employer has an organized labor union is because the employee feel the need for protection from employer abuse. Our current management at our command is doing everything in its power to get rid of senior employees still under the old CSRS system. My boss is the most anti-veteran supervisor I have ever met. He has never served his country and in the four years he has been a supervisor, he has managed to file disciplinary actions against five employees, all veterans. He managed to put one Vietnam Vet out the gate until the vet finally proved that he had committed no offense. The base did not pay him for the three months lost wages. His degree in business management has no background on how to manage a warehouse. He has never performed any of the jobs he evaluates. How does that work? His ideas on how things should be done and how long it should take are all based on his fantasy, not fact. NSPS will gut the morale of employees left with no hope.
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15184
So I wonder how Rummy feels about his Deputy Secretary of Defense (Gordon England) stating that, "The Department of Defense...is the last vestige of communism outside Cuba in the world today."
I knew it, DoD is just a bunch of Commie's, perhaps Homeland Security can come to our rescue and run-off the red menace at the Pentagon (maybe that should be the Pentagram?) This is better than monkeys smoking cigars and drinking beer! What a show, say, you don't suppose Rummy is Castro's daddy . . . no, that's almost as stupid as NSPS.
Finally, does this mean the Commander-in-Chief is the head Commie? Sorry all, I didn't mean to brandish that dangerous logic.
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15181
Just like the "port deal" the administration has no plan to stop, even after being told by our judges that NSPS is unlawful. The port deal is no different -- all the President's officials tell us the port deal will go through even if the President has to veto any legislation that Congress might pass. I find it fascinating that this administration brandishes their gall in the face of overwhelming odds. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. Edward Deming stated that managers make bad/wrong decisions 50 percent of the time. This administration seems to think that it is always right. I know I've been wrong before . . . many times. Why doesn't this administration have the guts to admit it is wrong once in a while? Even little kids in grade school learn to admit their mistakes. NSPS will be implemented no matter what the judges say. What has our legal/political system wrought, an administration that has no respect for laws? And everyone wonders why we government workers fear NSPS. We would be foolish not to.
Un-Civil Servant
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15179
I found this article to be extremely interesting. The most interesting part was Mr. England's quote:
"The Department of Defense, the way we operate, is the last vestige of communism outside Cuba in the world today," England said. "We do central planning . . . centrally controlled and with many, many layers. Things take a long time . . . to accomplish."
So who would be our current Stalin equivalent in DoD?
ORF
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15174
It just amazes me that Gordon England can criticize DoD as being the last vestige of communism outside Cuba -- which of course is not true -- but then think that the way to freedom is through NSPS.
The NSPS process of development was under the very model that Mr. Gordon is criticizing. It was centrally planned with practically no input from anyone. As implemented it would divest employee representatives and employees from having much say as to their working conditions. It strips employees of much needed due process. It is doubtful that this system would actually attract the very best talent. Most folks need some degree of control and job protection in their lives.
Only a truly myopic organization would try and slam this down the throats of their employees. It comes as really no surprise that they will appeal in the hope of getting the whole pie instead of reaching a compromise on half a loaf.
There is a much better way -- design the systems in fill partnership with your employees. Of course such an approach flies in the face of a command and control style that we now find everywhere in the federal government.
Thank God we still have courts that won't rubber stamp executive branch craziness.
HR Specialist
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15170
C'mon Gordon! Quit wasting my tax dollars and start over. Talk to my union and do a true collaboration on a new labor relations system. Try it, you'll like it!
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15169
"DoD...last vestige of communism?"
With Mr. England making public statements like that, along with the implicit acknowledgement that the labor relations portion is problematic (but they're dead set on going through with anyway). That gives me a whole lot of confidence in the overall NSPS and in the managers who are supposed to make this work (yeah, right!).
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15168
As expected...
You couldn't cut this "above the law" arrogance with a chain saw.
As I said, don't get too comfortable yet. BRAC (Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney) aren't finished with us yet. Don't breathe that sigh until 2008, when they're gone. Two more long years to go, and sitting in ruins.
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