GSA warehouse talks continue

GSA warehouse talks continue

ksaldarini@govexec.com

Talks between union and management officials over the future of eight General Services Administration warehouses continued Thursday.

A decision on whether GSA will shut down the warehouses or find some other solution to financial problems in the agency's federal supply system is still pending, but the American Federation of Government Employees and top GSA officials met Thursday to continue discussing the matter, an AFGE spokesman said.

According to the spokesman, AFGE presented GSA Administrator David Barram with a proposal to keep the warehouses open and salvage the jobs of some 2,000 affected union members.

AFGE was prepared to release the proposal, which analyzes GSA's supply and distribution system, on its Web site on Thursday, but abruptly pulled the paper for fear releasing the document might jeopardize ongoing talks with Barram.

"It is in the best interest of the parties concerned if we hold back . . . it may help our members keep their jobs," the union spokesman said.

A GSA spokesman confirmed that the two sides met Thursday, but said no timetable has been set for announcing a decision on the future of the warehouses.

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