http://www.council26.org AFSCME Council 26 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:07:38 CDT en-us http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/86736 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/86736 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:36:10 CDT The union organizing workers at the Capitol Visitor Center welcomed the news yesterday that the Center's CEO has been fired ("Head of Capitol Visitors Center gets fired, The Hill 7/27). "You have taken the first steps towards correcting an untenable situation at the CVC," AFSCME Council 26 Executive Director Carl Goldman wrote to Architect of the Capitol Stephen Ayers. "Management has put the visiting public and employees in potentially dangerous situations through the mishandling of... http://thehill.com/homenews/house/111547-cvc-staff-describe-litany-of-problems http://thehill.com/homenews/house/111547-cvc-staff-describe-litany-of-problems Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:25:17 CDT The Hill Lawmakers expressed their concern about a litany of problems the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) staff said the multimillion-dollar facility experienced under the leadership of Terrie Rouse. As first reported by The Hill, the firing of Rouse, the chief executive officer of visitor services, was announced to CVC staff on Tuesday. Over the past several months The Hill has conducted a series of interviews with lawmakers and six CVC staffers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/86760 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/86760 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:27:12 CDT Following the firing of the head of the Capitol Visitor Center, a union aiming to represent the center's employees sent a letter Wednesday to the Architect of the Capitol urging him to not just change the organization's head, but also its culture. "You have taken the first steps towards correcting an untenable situation at the CVC," wrote Carl Goldman, executive director of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 26. "In hiring a new CEO, the Capitol Visitor... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/86764 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/86764 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:03:41 CDT As the dust settles on a top-level firing at the Capitol Visitor Center, both the recently sacked CEO for visitor services and those accusing her of mismanagement are speaking out about Terrie Rouse's tenure and the future of the multimillion-dollar complex. Rouse was dismissed Tuesday after a three-year stint marred by standoffish relations with Members and employee discontent. In an interview Wednesday, Rouse defended herself, saying she was implementing policies at the behest of... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/26/AR2010072605608_pf.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/26/AR2010072605608_pf.html Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:50:45 CDT Washington Post The American people don't have much confidence in government, but that doesn't mean they want less of it. They say Uncle Sam should work efficiently, without wasting money or getting too big, but they still embrace "a wide range of actual federal government programs and initiatives." That's from a report scheduled for release Tuesday by the Center for American Progress. There's good news for government tucked in the report, but it can be overshadowed by the gloomy expressions of doubt... http://www.afscme.org/press/28802.cfm http://www.afscme.org/press/28802.cfm Sat, 24 Jul 2010 09:01:59 CDT AFSCME Gerald W. McEntee, president of the 1.6 million member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO (AFSCME) made the following statement on today's Quinnipiac poll showing that Americans support reducing the unemployment rate over deficit reduction by a 64-30 margin: "This poll confirms that Republican rhetoric in Washington is out of sync with average Americans. By a margin of more than 2 to 1, Americans believe that saving and creating jobs is more important than... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/86578 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/86578 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 06:19:27 CDT Whoever said there's no such thing as a free lunch wasn't at the USDA last Wednesday. Members of AFSCME 3925 -- which represents the USDA Farm Services and Risk Management Agency's employees -- enjoyed a free fish fry, as did their colleagues who signed up for the union that day. As part of the membership promotion, which Local 3925 president Trina Liddell said drew "A good turnout," the local also held a raffle, which raised over $300 for the Community Services Agency; winners received gas... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/86460 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/86460 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:22:57 CDT A coalition of unions and other organizations, including AFSCME,nbsp;sent a letter to each Senator and Member of Congress arguing against any attempts to freeze or cut federal pay in 2011. To read the letter to the members of the House click here. To read the letter to Senate members click here. http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/106845-mcentee-protegee-wins-no-2-spot-at-afscme http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/106845-mcentee-protegee-wins-no-2-spot-at-afscme Fri, 02 Jul 2010 09:41:09 CDT The Hill A close protege of powerful labor leader Gerry McEntee was elected Thursday to second-in-command at his union. Lee Saunders, executive assistant to McEntee at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), won election as Secretary-Treasurer for the nation's largest public sector employee union. Many see the no. 2 spot as a stepping stone towards the union's presidency, now controlled by McEntee. Saunders won a close race against Danny Donohue, president of... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/86242 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/86242 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:17:19 CDT Congressional tour guides and visitor assistants filed a petition to form a union Friday, taking the initial step toward creating the first union in the guides' 134 years of existence. The filing comes more than 18 months after the Capitol Visitor Center opened and the Capitol Guide Service was transferred to the Architect of the Capitol. While about 40 tour guides once worked out of a small operation in the Senate, they are now part of a large agency that employs more than 3,000 people.... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/86148 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/86148 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 06:57:23 CDT Tour staff at the U.S. Capitol know a lot about the building's history. Friday they added their own chapter to that history, filing for a union recognition election. The filing came after a brief 3-week campaign initiated by the workers themselves, reports Carl Goldman, Executive Director of AFSCME Council 26, which is organizing the new unit. "To able to file for an election so quickly with a large amount of support is itself a victory," said Goldman, "We're sending a message to management... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=45516dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=45516dcn=e_gvet Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:08:57 CDT Government Executive After strong debate from both sides of the aisle, the Senate on Thursday rejected a legislative provision that would have frozen federal pay and the size of the government workforce. The chamber voted 57-41 to let stand a budgetary point of order against a GOP alternative amendment to the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act. The point of order essentially blocks the amendment, offered by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., which sought to avoid $113 billion in spending, partly by freezing... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=45499dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=45499dcn=e_gvet Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:11:29 CDT Government Executive Three Virginia lawmakers introduced the 2010 Federal Supervisor Training Act on Tuesday, which would require managers to receive initial training within one year of being promoted and once every three years after. The bill (H.R. 5522), introduced by Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., would establish a program to educate supervisors on a range of common managerial issues, including developing and discussing goals with employees, communicating about progress and conducting performance appraisals.... http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/103691-2010-top-lobbyists http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/103691-2010-top-lobbyists Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:13:59 CDT The Hill Tobyn Anderson, Lighthouse Consulting Group. Anderson and Lighthouse represent the United States Climate Action Partnership, a coalition of companies and environmental groups that support climate legislation. He has been a key adviser on Senate efforts to craft climate legislation. Paul Bailey, The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity. ACCCE was caught up in scandal when a subcontractor sent forged letters to House members opposing climate change legislation. But Bailey remains a... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/14/AR2010061405574_pf.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/14/AR2010061405574_pf.html Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:48:43 CDT The Washington Post Looking to demonstrate their commitment to balancing the budget, Republicans are increasingly targeting the federal workforce. In the past month, congressional Republicans have tried to attach to several bills language that would limit pay increases for federal workers. This week, as part of a GOP amendment to a Democratic bill that would spend billions on unemployment benefits and help states fund their Medicaid programs, Senate Republicans are including a proposal that would freeze pay... http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=20sid=1977451 http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=20sid=1977451 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:09:37 CDT Federal News Radio Will Congress make a pre-election attempt to freeze the salaries of white collar federal workers? Does a bear schlep in the woods? The thought of skipping the 2011 federal pay raise (President Obama has proposed a 1.4 percent increase next January) is considered, by most people, to be madness. That is to most people who live Inside The Beltway. But beyond I-495, out where most members of Congress get elected - and especially in low-wage, high-unemployment areas - socking it to the... http://www.rollcall.com/news/47171-1.html?type=printer_friendly http://www.rollcall.com/news/47171-1.html?type=printer_friendly Thu, 10 Jun 2010 07:20:38 CDT Roll Call A supervisor at the Capitol Visitor Center allegedly picked up a bag of white powder labeled "anthrax" on Saturday morning, carried it through Exhibition Hall and flushed it down the toilet without calling police. Throughout the incident, visitors milled around the CVC, unaware of the potential danger, according to several sources. CVC officials finally called the Capitol Police an hour or so later. Officers didn't find anything hazardous or dangerous, according to police spokeswoman Sgt.... http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=20sid=1975376 http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=20sid=1975376 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 09:19:00 CDT Federal News Radio If the past is a predictor of the future, the 5 percent across-budget cut agencies have been asked/told to take won't necessarily amount to 5 percent and it won't necessarily cover all agencies. Spending cuts, to old hands in government, are nothing new. They are rarely produce the catastrophic results predicted by the media. Nor are they a joke. They've been imposed, with varying degrees of severity and success, since the 1930s. Often a budget cut triggers an immediate hiring freeze.... http://www.rollcall.com/issues/55_142/news/47044-1.html http://www.rollcall.com/issues/55_142/news/47044-1.html Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:54:03 CDT Roll Call Congressional tour guides and visitor assistants began efforts last week to form a union, citing concerns over the management practices at the Capitol Visitor Center. Eighteen CVC employees sent letters Thursday to about 30 Members of Congress and Architect of the Capitol Stephen Ayers, explaining their plans to form a union under the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. It's the first time in the 134 years that Congress has had a Capitol Guide Service that Capitol... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=45403dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=45403dcn=e_gvet Thu, 03 Jun 2010 07:20:37 CDT Government Executive A Federal Labor Relations Authority regional director has dismissed two major unions' bids for an election to determine representation for 40,000 Transportation Security Administration employees. Acting Chicago Regional Director Peter Sutton cited a 2003 decision by the full FLRA, that it did not have jurisdiction over such petitions because TSA employees lack collective bargaining rights. Officials from the American Federation of Government Employees and the National Treasury Employees... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/17/AR2010051703710.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/17/AR2010051703710.html Tue, 18 May 2010 13:06:51 CDT Washington Post In his May 13 Washington Sketch ["Women's restroom shortage is out of line"], Dana Milbank poked fun at H.R. 4869, the Restroom Gender Parity in Federal Buildings Act. But women in the federal workforce know better, and when the General Services Administration's Robert Peck says "we're not finding complaints," he's not paying attention. Renovations for Americans With Disabilities Act compliance regularly make a bad situation worse. For example, renovations in the Adams Building of the... http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/05/10/whats-wrong-with-big-government/print/ http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/05/10/whats-wrong-with-big-government/print/ Wed, 12 May 2010 15:18:30 CDT Politics Daily On Saturday, Sen. Bob Bennett's senatorial career came to what seems to be a rather ignominious end, when the conservative Utah Republican placed third at the GOP state convention picking the party's Senate nominee. A businessman named Tim Bridgewater and Tea Party favorite Mike Lee finished, respectively, first and second, and they will subsequently slug it out in a primary on June 22. (Under state law, Bennett, who has been in the Senate for almost 18 years, can run in the November election... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=45216dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=45216dcn=e_gvet Fri, 07 May 2010 11:50:12 CDT Government Executive A bill aimed at helping federal employees spend more time working outside the office hit a wall in the House on Thursday. House members debated the 2009 Telework Improvements Act on Wednesday and voted on Thursday 268-147 to pass it. But the chamber brought up the measure under suspension of the rules, which meant it needed at least a two-thirds majority to advance. The legislation (H.R. 1722) would codify a governmentwide telework policy the Office of Personnel Management announced last... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=45211dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=45211dcn=e_gvet Thu, 06 May 2010 10:33:26 CDT Government Executive CORRECTION: The original version of this article stated that the House passed the telework bill Wednesday. It did not. Government Executive regrets the error. The House on Wednesday debated a bill to give a governmentwide telework policy the Office of Personnel Management announced last year the strength of law. The 2009 Telework Improvements Act (H.R. 1722), introduced by Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., would require agencies to allow telework-eligible employees to work from a remote location... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/03/AR2010050304349_pf.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/03/AR2010050304349_pf.html Tue, 04 May 2010 14:20:14 CDT Washington Post Peter Orszag is often simply called President Obama's budget director. That's correct, but it's the middle word of his full title, Office of Management and Budget director, that makes his role particularly relevant to Uncle Sam's 2 million employees. The "M" means Orszag's office has significant influence over a broad range of situations that affect federal workers and those who would like to join their ranks. The "M" also could stand for the muscle the Obama administration's OMB has... http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=20sid=1945901 http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=20sid=1945901 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 19:55:26 CDT Federal News Radio If it's Friday you must be working from home. Or could be. Or should be, right? Or is teleworking as-you-know-it not working very well. Reserved for a chosen few, or not even an option? Depends. It depends on what your job is, what agency you work for, sometimes your geographical location and in some cases whether your boss "gets it" or operates like its 1981 not 2010. Key members of Congress are trying to get more feds out of the office (and off the roads) and enhance the government's... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=45134dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=45134dcn=e_gvet Thu, 29 Apr 2010 08:23:24 CDT Government Executive As soon as next week, the White House will release a hiring reform memo that will promote using résumés in place of knowledge, skills and abilities essays, a senior human capital official told Government Executive. The official, who spoke on background in advance of the memo's release, said Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management officials almost have completed the document and are prepared to pass it along to the White House for clearance. Kathryn Medina,... http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=20sid=1943964 http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=20sid=1943964 Thu, 29 Apr 2010 08:25:07 CDT Federal News Radio One of the toughest jobs in Washington is lobbying for improved pay, benefits and working conditions for federal government employees. Or retirees. Because... Despite its continuing growth, most Americans don't work for the federal government. Nor do they live inside our beloved, traffic-choked Beltway. Or want to. Many, if not most, taxpayers probably don't understand what all those bureaucrats do all day. And why they make so much money. Chances are if they admit to knowing one honest,... http://www.afscmeblog.org/2010/04/28/workers-memorial-day-2010/ http://www.afscmeblog.org/2010/04/28/workers-memorial-day-2010/ Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:37:50 CDT AFSCME The tragic deaths of 29 miners in Raleigh County, W.Va earlier this month serve as a sad reminder that American workers in many occupations — including first responders, highway workers and public safety officers — continue to lose their lives, risk injury or become ill as a result of unhealthy or dangerous workplaces. The miners' deaths are a sobering reminder of the importance of workplace safety regulations. On this Workers Memorial Day, we should take a moment to honor these women and... http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/04/27/92997/health-coverage-delayed-for-adult.html http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/04/27/92997/health-coverage-delayed-for-adult.html Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:40:48 CDT McClatchy WASHINGTON — Many parents breathed a sigh of relief when they heard that health insurance companies were opening up coverage to young adult children under the new healthcare law. However, lots of others — including those whose parents who work for the federal government — probably won't be able to get that coverage until next year. The federal employee health insurance program has announced that it's unlikely this year to offer young adults the ability to remain on their parents' policies... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/14/AR2010041404825_pf.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/14/AR2010041404825_pf.html Fri, 16 Apr 2010 07:23:18 CDT Washington Post A House committee approved a bill Wednesday that would probably lead to more federal employees getting permission to work from home, boosting an effort to encourage government telework that has gained momentum in recent months. The Oversight and Government Reform Committee, with bipartisan support and little debate, sent the measure to the House floor on a voice vote. It would require federal agencies to adopt policies allowing employees to work away from the office, with exceptions for... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/84425 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/84425 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 07:10:43 CDT Just in case any of the assembled USDA workers had any lingering doubts about whose side he was on, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack (below)nbsp;played his trump card at yesterday's Employee Listening Session. "I just want all the AFSCME members here to know that I'm a lifetime AFSCME member," Vilsak announced, pulling his union card out of his pocket to prove it. "It was a great session," AFSCME Council 26 organizer Beth Van de Bussche told Union City. "USDA workers had a chance to speak... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/84438 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/84438 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:31:02 CDT The Federal Workers Alliance, of which AFSCME is a member, sends letter to Congress supporting legislation to lower federal employee drug prescription costs. To read the letter, click here. http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/90133-obama-wants-expansion-of-teleworker-programs http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/90133-obama-wants-expansion-of-teleworker-programs Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:33:41 CDT The Hill The federal government could avoid shutting down if more workers had the option to telecommute,nbsp;President Barack Obama said Wednesday.nbsp; http://www.ufw.org/_board.php?mode=viewb_code=cre_leg_backb_no=6184 http://www.ufw.org/_board.php?mode=viewb_code=cre_leg_backb_no=6184 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:36:55 CDT United Farm Workers The rights and benefits working Americans enjoy today were not easily gained; they had to be won. It took generations of courageous men and women, fighting to secure decent working conditions, organizing to demand fair pay, and sometimes risking their lives. Some, like Cesar Estrada Chavez, made it the cause of their lives. Today, on what would have been his 83rd birthday, we celebrate Cesar's legacy and the progress achieved by all who stood alongside him. http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=20sid=1919308 http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=20sid=1919308 Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:51:28 CDT Federal News Radio If you have one of those so-called Cadillac health plans, or need to cover the health care costs of your college-aged kids, things are looking up. Federal and postal workers who need to insure children up to age 26 should be able to do it during the next open enrollment period November-December of 2010 for coverage starting in 2011. That's assuming Congress makes some tweaks in the just-passed health care reform act to permit FEHBP plans to extend the age of coverage from age 22 to age... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=44874dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=44874dcn=e_gvet Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:49:45 CDT Government Executive A House subcommittee on Wednesday approved legislation to promote telework in federal agencies, increase oversight of prescription drug coverage in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and allow federal employees to invest the value of their unused annual leave in their retirement accounts. nbsp; The House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, Postal Service and District of Columbia unanimously approved the 2009 Telework Improvements Act (H.R.... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/84211 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/84211 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:55:04 CDT On March 16, 2010, the MSPB hosted a meeting with representatives of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE); American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE); National Association of Government Employees (NAGE); National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE); and, National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). To read the letter, click here. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2010/03/eye_opener_snow_days_cost_71m.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2010/03/eye_opener_snow_days_cost_71m.html Thu, 25 Mar 2010 07:16:19 CDT The Washington Post Happy Big F-@#!-ing Wednesday! Last month's snow days that kept the federal government closed for almost a week cost taxpayers much less than initially feared. The government lost $71,074,495 worth of productivity for each snow day, according to updated estimates released Tuesday by the Office of Personnel Management. The figure dropped from an estimated $100 million because roughly 30 percent of federal workers in the Washington area teleworked during the storm, OPM Director John Berry... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=44858dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=44858dcn=e_gvet Thu, 25 Mar 2010 07:17:37 CDT Government Executive During his first confirmation hearing in Washington on Tuesday, President Obama's nominee to lead the Transportation Security Administration pledged to boost training for employees but would not commit to extending collective bargaining rights to agency screeners. nbsp; "From my military service, I know all too well how important a well-trained workforce is," said Maj. Gen. Robert Harding before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. "You have my commitment to enhance... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/84146 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/84146 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 09:33:56 CDT Demonstrating real labor-management cooperation, the members of AFSCME 3870 and their management at the U.S. Department of Agriculture have negotiated a new contract two months ahead of the May expiration of the previous contract. "This was a great victory for both sides," said Local 3870 President Debra Arnold. "Both sides had a goal to get this done and get out the door." The local received some important victories, including a provision that gives the union president 100% official time, 2... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/83753 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/83753 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:31:55 CST "Every union local has someone who dedicates themselves to the health and safety of their coworkers," says AFSCME Local 2910 President Saul Schniderman. "Nan Thompson Ernst'snbsp;work exemplifies this." Ernst (l), Local 2910's chief steward, is to be honored today with the "Advocate of Workplace Safety Award" by the Office of Compliance for her commitment to safety at the Library of Congress. The award ceremony is being held in the Senate Auditorium and honors her and other workers throughout... http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/03/01/biden-to-afl-cio-organizing-bill-can-pass/tab/print/ http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/03/01/biden-to-afl-cio-organizing-bill-can-pass/tab/print/ Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:22:41 CST Wall Street Journal Vice President Joe Biden told the AFL-CIO that the Obama administration will still be able to push through a controversial union organizing bill that has been stalled for the past year and looked all but dead once Democrats lost their 60-seat super-majority in the Senate. At the Buena Vista Palace Hotel in Orlando, Fla., where the labor federation is holding its annual winter meeting, Biden asked for continued support from union leaders despite the administration's inability to push... http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/5624/jobs_campaign_tops_agenda_for_afl-cio_executive_counil_meeting/ http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/5624/jobs_campaign_tops_agenda_for_afl-cio_executive_counil_meeting/ Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:25:23 CST In These Times When the AFL-CIO executive council meets in Orlando, Florida, this week, federation officers and affiliated union presidents will be focusing on jobs, especially the politics and legislative maneuvering involved in creating and saving jobs.nbsp; Like much that organized labor pushes for these days, especially healthcare reform, the jobs effort will walk a narrow path between supporting what Obama and the Democrats are trying to do in the face of Republican opposition-like Sen. Jim Bunning's... http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2010/03/sen-bunning-singlehandedly-causes-2000-federal-worker-furloughs.html http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2010/03/sen-bunning-singlehandedly-causes-2000-federal-worker-furloughs.html Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:27:22 CST ABC News Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) didn't just stop extensions of unemployment and health insurance benefits with his "hold' on these funding measures last week, he also stoppednbsp; annbsp; extension of the Highway Trust Fund for 30 days. That means the fund cannot be used to pay for anynbsp; of its programs or its employees.nbsp; nbsp; So, the Department of Transportation as of Monday morning, must furlough 2,000 federal workers. DOT says that number could climb if this stalemate over funding... http://blog.aflcio.org/2010/02/26/bunning-to-jobless-workers-tough-s_-_-_/ http://blog.aflcio.org/2010/02/26/bunning-to-jobless-workers-tough-s_-_-_/ Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:53:30 CST AFL-CIO Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) has a message for the 1.2 million jobless workers who will lose their unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and COBRA health coverage in March when the two programs expire Feb. 28. "Tough sh*t" Bunning has single-handily blocked a vote on a 30-day extension by being the only senator to oppose a unanimous consent motion to vote on the bill which was passed earlier by the House. For hours last night, Bunning refused to budge and according to Politico, when Sen. Jeff... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/83674 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/83674 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:31:17 CST If you have any family members or friends who are unemployed, please let them know that a new union for the unemployed has been formed. To view the website of the new organization, click here. http://www.afscme.org/members/883.cfm http://www.afscme.org/members/883.cfm Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:07:25 CST AFSCME Jerry Clark served AFSCME for nearly two decades as Director of the International union's Political Action Department. In 1990, to honor the memory of Brother Clark, who died in that year, AFSCME instituted the Jerry Clark Memorial Scholarship. The AFSCME Scholarship Selection Committee has selected Connor Allen and Sally Anne Stenzel as the winners of this year's Jerry Clark Memorial Scholarship. Connor Allen is the son of Ken Allen, member of Council 75, Local 350 and Sally Anne Stenzel,... http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/feb/03/scott-brown/politifact-debut-brown-says-federal-jobs-pay-twice/ http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/feb/03/scott-brown/politifact-debut-brown-says-federal-jobs-pay-twice/ Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:48:25 CST politifact.com 12 days after his upset victory in Massachusetts, Republican Sen.-elect Scott Brown made his debut on the Sunday morning talk circuit. nbsp; He talked about health care, the war in Afghanistan and deficit reduction in an interview with Barbara Walters on the Jan. 31, 2010 episode of This Week. nbsp; Brown encouraged President Barack Obama to put a freeze on federal position hires and raises because, "as you know, federal employees are making twice as much as their private counterparts."... http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=110sid=1878327 http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=110sid=1878327 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:45:38 CST Federal News Radio Federal workers who predicted that President Obama would propose a 2011 pay freeze missed the boat. But not by that much. The 1.4 percent figure proposed in the President's budget is larger than the guess-timate that the majority of readers -- in our entertaining but highly unscientific poll -- gave. Last Friday we asked people to guess what the White House would recommend to Congress. A few said 2 percent, but the majority said they were braced for a zero increase. We printed the... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/83238 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/83238 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:16:53 CST February 1, 1960, began as a crisp winter's day half a century ago. But by the end of the day, U.S. race relations would be changed forever. On that day, four neatly-dressed African-Americans students quietly took their seats a t a Woolworth's lunch counter and asked to be served. Such an occurrence wouldn't draw a moment's attention today, but in 1960 in Greensboro, North Carolina, only white people were allowed to sit and eat. Blacks could eat standing up. They were allowed to cook meals,... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/83207 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/83207 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 06:34:49 CST Forty stewards from 8 different Locals within Council 26 met at the AFSCME International Headquarters in Washington, DC for a Basic Stewards Training. Their length of time as stewards ranged from as short as several weeks to as long as 30 years.nbsp;By the end of thenbsp;two daysnbsp;they hadnbsp;learned their roles and duties as stewards and were energized to begin helping their members. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/20/AR2010012004671.html?wpisrc=nl_fed http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/20/AR2010012004671.html?wpisrc=nl_fed Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:32:07 CST Washington Post The Obama administration announced Wednesday that it plans to crack down on federal contractors who fail to pay their taxes. An executive order signed by President Obama directs the Treasury Department and the Office of Management and Budget to block delinquent contractors from receiving new work from federal agencies. The Internal Revenue Service will also review the accuracy of contractors' tax returns to ensure truthful reporting. Obama called the steps "basic common sense," but said... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/82965 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/82965 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:54:08 CST Haiti is a scene of unimaginable devastation and human tragedy today. Please do all you can to help Haitians survive Tuesday's massive earthquake by donating to one of the service organizations at right. To read how you can help, click here. http://blog.aflcio.org/2010/01/14/king-day-celebration-to-focus-on-economic-justice/#more-24383 http://blog.aflcio.org/2010/01/14/king-day-celebration-to-focus-on-economic-justice/#more-24383 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:57:04 CST AFL-CIO This Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, more than 400 union activists will remind the nation that without economic justice, King's vision is unfulfilled. During the annual AFL-CIO King Day celebration in Greensboro, N.C., Jan. 14-18, union members will call on the White House and Congress for meaningful jobs creation policies. nbsp; They will discuss the course of the civil rights struggle from two key perspectives. On Jan. 16, participants will honor the four trail-blazing students... http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/health/policy/12health.html http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/health/policy/12health.html Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:54:15 CST NY Times President Obama told union leaders at a private White House meeting on Monday that he remained committed to taxing high-cost insurance policies as a way to drive down health costs. But he also signaled that he was willing to amend the proposal to "make this work for working families," a senior administration official said. The excise tax is a major point of contention as White House and Congressional negotiators seek agreement on a final version of a sweeping bill that would extend health... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/82932 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/82932 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:33:42 CST A group of unions and other organizations, including AFSCME, sent a letter to House and Senate leadership, the DC-area delegation, among others, urging them to protect FEHBP in the health care reform process. To read the letter, click here. http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/82910 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/82910 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 07:08:59 CST Federal workers alliance (FWA) will give labor organizations a stronger voice to fight for federal workers. To read the press release click here. http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-obama-unions12-2010jan12,0,3086063,print.story http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-obama-unions12-2010jan12,0,3086063,print.story Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:36:09 CST LA Times Underscoring a rift in the Democratic political coalition, national labor leaders met with President Obama on Monday and raised objections to a proposed tax that they said would harm union members and cause a backlash in the November midterm election. nbsp; Obama has come out in favor of the "Cadillac tax" that is part of the healthcare bill passed by the Senate. The tax, meant to help finance the healthcare overhaul, would apply to the most expensive insurance plans. nbsp; The House has... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100106/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_overhaul http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100106/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_overhaul Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:42:30 CST Associated Press President Barack Obama signaled to House Democratic leaders Wednesday that they'll have to drop their opposition to taxing high-end health insurance plans to pay for health coverage for millions of uninsured Americans. nbsp; In a meeting at the White House, Obama expressed his preference for the insurance tax contained in the Senate's health overhaul bill, but largely opposed by House Democrats and organized labor, Democratic aides said. The aides spoke on condition of anonymity because the... http://www.noozhawk.com/local_news/article/010210_mark_shields/ http://www.noozhawk.com/local_news/article/010210_mark_shields/ Wed, 06 Jan 2010 07:23:02 CST Noozhawk The Republican senator takes an anti-union stance and holds up the confirmation of a TSA chief. nbsp; Tell me that Tiger Woods, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and Charlie Sheen are getting together to open up a marriage-counseling firm. But don't tell me that Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., is holding up Senate confirmation of the boss of the Transportation Security Administration because DeMint wants assurances that the employees of that agency — responsible for making sure Americans are able... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=44236dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=44236dcn=e_gvet Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:41:25 CST Government Executive President Obama ordered late Friday that all federal agencies close for the last half of the work day on Thursday, Dec. 24, to give employees a jump on the Christmas holiday. In an executive order, Obama also noted that the heads of departments and agencies may determine that "certain offices and installations of their organizations, or parts thereof, must remain open and that certain employees must remain on duty for the full scheduled workday" on Christmas Eve. Traditionally, presidents... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=44213dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=44213dcn=e_gvet Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:41:00 CST Government Executive President Obama on Wednesday signed an executive order, similar to a Clinton-era mandate, that establishes governmentwide labor-management partnerships. In addition to requiring labor-management forums at the agency level, the order creates a national council on federal labor-management relations, led by the deputy director of management for the Office of Management and Budget and director of the Office of Personnel Management. In keeping with an Oct. 1 draft, the Dec. 9 order does not... http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2009/12/federal_employees_earn_2_pay_r.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2009/12/federal_employees_earn_2_pay_r.html Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:57:10 CST The Washington Post Congressional appropriators agreed Tuesday night to give civilian federal employees a 2 percent pay increase -- which includes a locality pay increase President Obama didn't want. Government workers will get a 1.5 percent nationwide increase in base pay and a 0.5 percent average increase in locality pay. The final agreement goes against the wishes of Obama, who called for a flat 2 percent jump and no locality increase. Locality pay helps address the gaps between federal pay and private... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/82691 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/82691 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:05:37 CST nbsp; Click here to see ad. http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/82692 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/82692 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:08:13 CST nbsp; Click here to read report. http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=20sid=1830765 http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=20sid=1830765 Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:39:15 CST Federal News Radio White collar federal workers are due a 2 percent pay raise next year. We all know that. And they won't be getting a locality pay raise next year. We all know that too. And yet . . . Lots of federal workers are asking -- what does that mean, and will they actually get 2 percent, or slightly less, or slightly more? The short answer is: Yes! But this is the government so nothing is simple. In fact, given the option of answering the question 1)... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/03/AR2009120304322.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/03/AR2009120304322.html Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:20:59 CST The Washington Post Federal employees may have more snow days or early dismissals this winter as the Washington region gears up for a season expected to be colder than normal, with a better chance of big storms. Government officials outlined the potential closing and early-dismissal scenarios for the Washington region at an Office of Personnel Management briefing Thursday. Officials insisted they will do everything they can to announce closings by 4 a.m. on bad weather days. "I know that the commute for many... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/01/AR2009120103988.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/01/AR2009120103988.html Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:12:36 CST The Washington Post President Obama will win no fans among federal workers with his action to limit their pay increase next year to 2 percent. That's a long way from the 18.9 percent average raise Obama said many government workers would have received using a complicated statutory formula designed to make federal pay more comparable to private-sector compensation. "Our country continues to face serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare and most Americans would not understand or accept that... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/30/AR2009113004066_pf.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/30/AR2009113004066_pf.html Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:20:08 CST The Washington Post The Federal Aviation Administration needs to step up its efforts to promote diversity and do more to counter low morale, according to a report released Monday by the Government Accountability Office. The GAO called on the agency to broaden its training programs rather than narrowly focusing on racial diversity in hiring. The GAO said the agency's initiatives "fell short" of diversity management practices at other organizations. The FAA needs diversity training to "provide employees an... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/57901 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/57901 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:42:50 CST DC Labor Read how you can help other working people through the Combined Federal Campaign. http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=44052dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=44052dcn=e_gvet Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:32:57 CST Government Executive It was supposed to be a discussion of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program's Open Season, but many participants in Monday's town hall meeting in Montgomery County, Md., expressed concern over the health care reform package before Congress. At the Holiday Park Senior Center in Wheaton, Md., Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen, tried to assure a crowd of about 200 people, mostly retirees, that current health care reforms under consideration would not have an adverse effect on their... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=44010dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=44010dcn=e_gvet Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:35:38 CST Government Executive Alternative work schedules long have been touted as one solution to the federal government's recruitment and retention challenges. Telework, in particular, has taken narrow but determined root in many federal agencies, and the Obama administration has made it a priority to translate those limited successes into governmentwide standards for telework policies. But the administration also recognizes that agencies and managers have to be more flexible and comfortable making case-by-case... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/08/AR2009110817810_pf.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/08/AR2009110817810_pf.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:37:39 CST The Washington Post Here's a story you may have missed because it flies in the face of the dreary conventional wisdom: When advocates of public programs take on the right-wing anti-government crowd directly, the government-haters lose. This is what happened in two statewide referendums last week that got buried under all of the attention paid to the governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey. In Maine, voters rejected a tax-limitation measure by a walloping 60 percent to 40 percent. In Washington state, a... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/04/AR2009110404391.html?wpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletter http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/04/AR2009110404391.html?wpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletter Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:40:58 CST Washington Post It's that distinct time of year when the leaves fall, the air turns brisk and the major American sports seasons overlap. Another season opens in a few days, one that is as central to the lives of federal employees as Sunday afternoon is to a fantasy football freak. Open Season begins Monday and runs though Dec. 14. During that time, 8 million people covered by the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, including current employees, dependents and retirees, can choose their health... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=43972dcn=todaysnews http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=43972dcn=todaysnews Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:42:29 CST Government Executive As House Democrats prepare to introduce new health care reform legislation this week, federal employees' health benefits once again became a political football in the debate over the bill. Sixteen Republican representatives wrote to Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y., to demand that he schedule hearings on reform proposals' potential impact on the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. Their letter reiterated a request that Rep. Darrell Issa,... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/82122 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/82122 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:51:15 CST AFSCME submits letter to Senate Committee in support of Domestic Partner benefits. Click here to read the letter. http://www.fedsmith.com/article/2169/president-signs-defense-bill-includes-credit-sick.html http://www.fedsmith.com/article/2169/president-signs-defense-bill-includes-credit-sick.html Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:13:24 CDT FedSmith.com We we noted in a recent article (Human Resources Changes Include Sick Leave Credit for FERS Employees and Abolishing NSPS), the Senate recently passed a bill that provides a number of benefits to federal employees. The bill was not a law at that time as it has not been signed by the President. President Obama today signed the bill. The new law will make several changes to the federal human resources system includeing: Allowing federal agencies to re-employ federal retirees on a limited,... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/81917 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/81917 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:46:56 CDT AFSCME and other organizations send a letter to Senate Majority Harry Reed to protect Federal Employees Health Benefit Program in health reform legislation. Read the letter by clicking here. nbsp; http://www.fedsmith.com/article/2162/human-resources-changes-include-sick-leave-credit.html http://www.fedsmith.com/article/2162/human-resources-changes-include-sick-leave-credit.html Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:51:03 CDT FedSmith As we noted in a recent article (Congressional Movement on Federal Benefits), Congress has been considering a number of changes in the federal government's human resources program that would benefit a number of readers. As often happens, these changes are in a bill that, on the surface, has little to do with the changes that will impact many federal employees. In this case, thenbsp; Defense authorization bill contains provisions on various human resources issues that will impact much of the... http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/10/22/government-grows-the-economy/ http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/10/22/government-grows-the-economy/ Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:32:08 CDT AFL-CIO Economist Jeff Madrick, director of policy research at The New School's Bernard Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis, is among several key speakers at next week's Building the New Economy conference here in Washington, D.C. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard also are among keynote speakers. Here, Madrick shares with us why government involvement in the economy is essential to ensure a robust, successful nation. America had been living a... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/81846 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/81846 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:50:08 CDT The Senate Finance Committee (SFC) passed a health care reform bill that includes a provision to tax many health insurance plans and essentially, tax the middle class. The Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan (FEHBP) will be affected in future yearsnbsp;if the Finance Committee bill becomes law. Currently, Congressional leaders are working to marry health reform bills passed by various committees of jurisdiction. AFSCME International is working with other federal Unions to oppose the excise... http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-10-14-union_N.htm http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-10-14-union_N.htm Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:09:38 CDT USA Today A coalition of labor unions is emerging as a leading critic of an $829 billion health care bill heading toward a Senate vote, complicating debate among Democrats over how to pay for the measure. Unions had largely supported President Obama's effort to revamp the nation's $2.6 trillion health care system, but 27 labor groups have launched a campaign against key provisions in the bill passed this week by the Senate Finance Committee. Many groups with a stake in the health care fight have... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/81873 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/81873 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:03:15 CDT A Senate hearing was held to investigate the shocking rate increase federal employees are facing for long-term care plans. Many AFSCME federal employees purchased long term care policies years ago with the belief that they would pay more in the beginning to lock -in a premium rate and level of benefits that would remain constant throughout the life of their plan. Unfortunately, misleading sales material failed to mention the plans would be renegotiated and the premium rates and benefit... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/81704 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/81704 Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:55:50 CDT Statement For The Record of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) before the Special Committee on Aging and the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia United State Senate On Long-Term Care Insurance October 14, 2009 nbsp; Statement for the Record The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=43765dcn=todaysnews http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=43765dcn=todaysnews Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:07:41 CDT Government Executive House-Senate negotiators included a number of pay and retirement provisions in a compromise version of the 2010 Defense authorization bill, overcoming the objections of Republican senators who blocked the language from the Senate version of the bill. The conference report, approved on Wednesday morning, includes a provision that would allow workers in the Federal Employees Retirement System to count unused sick leave toward their retirement. The provision would be phased in over a... http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=20sid=1778661 http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=20sid=1778661 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:29:50 CDT Federal News Radio Here are a couple of interesting and absolutely useless facts that could save you a bundle of money next year. 1) The average federal health insurance premium is going up 8.8 percent next year. 2) The average depth of the Pacific Ocean 14,040 feet. 3) My average weight, from birth until Saturday afternoon around 4:15 p.m, is 103 pounds. How interesting. And also, so what? We use averages all the time. And they work great in baseball. But when it comes to the most important person in the world... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/81540 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/81540 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:51:51 CDT This year's DC Labor FilmFest features 30 screenings of 19 films over seven days, offering a unique line-up of films about work and workers. The 9th annual FilmFest is set for October 13nbsp;- 19 and boasts an exciting array of new films and beloved classics about work and workers, from the American office to the far-flung factories of the global economy. More than two dozen films will screen at nine different venuesnbsp;- including main FilmFest home AFI, 8633 Colesville Rd, Silver... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ProgramDetails/i/246/pid/46784 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ProgramDetails/i/246/pid/46784 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:34:35 CDT DC Labor When financial crisis hits home for local union members, the Community Services Agency (CSA) of the Metro Washington Council AFL-CIO is there to help. CSA assists with evictions, utility shut-offs, empty cupboards and more. But without your support, CSA's cupboard will run bare! Make sure CSA can continue being there to help by supporting the agency through this Fall's United Way, CFC and other workplace fundraising campaigns. Please support the Community Services Agency; all contributions... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/81414 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/81414 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:14:36 CDT American Federation ofnbsp;State, City and Municipal Employees Local 2953 members Bill Chouinard and James Eisenmann won first place - with a score of ten under par - at Monday's 14th Annual Community Services Agency (CSA) Golf Tournament. United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) member Doug Menapace and Teamsters Local 639 retiree Julia Sampson won the men's and women's longest drive respectively. Frank Beckham from UFCW won the men's "closest to pin" award on the 14th hole and National... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/81184 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/81184 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:30:03 CDT The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will consider making mandatory for federal agencies its 1989 guidelines on safety and health management program practices, Jordan Barab, acting assistant secretary of labor for OSHA, told BNA Sept. 15. nbsp; Barab made the comment following a special meeting of OSHA's Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health (FACOSH), which recommended to the agency it revise its standard on basic program elements for federal employee... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/81067 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/81067 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:09:36 CDT "The difficult situation of Colombia workers also creates a bad situation for workers in the United States," Nestor Bruges Medina said. Bruges is the President the Atlantico region of the Alternative Democratic Pole, the main opposition party in Colombia. I spoke to him last week during a visit to Barranquilla, a city in northern Colombia. "Polo," as it is known in Colo mbia, is a pro-union political party that draws much of its support from the Colombian labor movement and Colombian workers... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/11/AR2009091103273.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/11/AR2009091103273.html Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:11:46 CDT AFSCME Council 26 There you go again, Mr. President. After promising to restore faith in our government and make it "cool" and "competent," you slighted our public servants by derisively referring to them as "bureaucrats" in an effort to appease those who worry about a government takeover of health care. On Wednesday, you told Congress and the American people, "I will make sure that no government bureaucrat or insurance company bureaucrat gets between you and the care that you need." At a town hall... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/11/AR2009091100046.html?wpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletter http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/11/AR2009091100046.html?wpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletter Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:20:22 CDT The Washington Post The people who protect airline passengers by stopping guns, knives and hijackers from getting on planes moved a step closer to securing the civil service protections they have long been denied with legislation approved Thursday by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The Transportation Workforce Enhancement Act, approved on a 19-to-10 party-line vote, would allow some 60,000 Transportation Security Administration employees, including airport screeners and air marshals,... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/31/AR2009083103572.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/31/AR2009083103572.html Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:45:02 CDT The Washington Post It's cheap at any price. The Congressional Budget Office says a bill designed to fix the broken federal hiring process would cost $40 million over five years. That's a pittance -- loose change rolling around in Uncle Sam's deep pockets -- compared with the aggravation, frustration and irritation many government job seekers encounter. A major chunk of that money, $15 million, would be spent in fiscal year 2010 to develop the data-collection systems agencies would need to collect hiring... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/80326 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/80326 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:48:52 CDT The rising cost of a college education is putting working families in a bind. However, if you open a new college savings account, your union may be able to help. The new Union Plus College Savings Grant offers $500 to qualified union members who open a new tax-free "529" college savings or prepaid tuition plan by November 30.nbsp; You are eligible for the $500 grant if you have had a Union Plus Credit Card, Mortgage or UnionSecure Insurance policy for one year and contribute at least $1,000... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/80185 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/80185 Mon, 03 Aug 2009 07:36:38 CDT Union members rely on expert advice from their unions on workplace issues and now the Union Plus Legal Service helps workers find lawyers who can answer their personal legal questions. The service offers labor union-friendly lawyers, substantial savings with no annual fee, a free initial consultation and a large attorney panel with lawyers a phone call - 1-888-993-8886 - away. Lawyers on the legal panel have expertise in family law, traffic matters, wills and estate-planning, real estate,... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=43276dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=43276dcn=e_gvet Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:54:13 CDT Government Executive Contracting guidance released on Wednesday will help agencies identify $40 billion annually in savings, according to the White House. nbsp; The Office of Management and Budget issued memos for agency heads aimed at improving acquisition practices, making better use of information on contractors' past performance, and finding an appropriate mix of federal employees and contractors. The acquisition practices memo by OMB head Peter R. Orszag directed agencies to develop a plan to save 7... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/27/AR2009072702981.html?wpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newslett http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/27/AR2009072702981.html?wpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newslett Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:31:56 CDT AFSCME Council 26 They don't call him Dr. No for nothing. Republican Sen. Tom Coburn, a Muskogee, Okla., physician, earned that moniker with his consistent objection to legislation that he regards as an irresponsible use of the government's money. His latest target was a bill eagerly awaited by many federal employees. The measure, among other things, would have allowed those in the Federal Employee Retirement System to count unused sick leave in their retirement calculations. Coburn saw this as an insult... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=43237dcn=todaysnews http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=43237dcn=todaysnews Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:09:41 CDT Government Executive An amendment containing several federal workforce reforms was withdrawn on Thursday from the Senate's version of the fiscal 2010 Defense authorization bill. Sponsored by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, the amendment would have allowed employees in the Federal Employee Retirement System to credit unused sick leave toward their retirement, and moved civilian employees outside of the continental United States into the locality pay system, among other things. Akaka withdrew his own amendment after... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/79957 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/79957 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:59:50 CDT When it comes to labor-management partnerships, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty - who has effectively disbanded the city's Labor-Management Partnership Council - could learn a few things from his friend in the White House. The Rural Development Partnership Council at USDA, which had virtually vanished under President Bush, is back and "has been very effective in improving management/employee relations," reports AFSCME Local 3870 President Debra Arnold. "We've had to file no grievances in the past 18... http://afscme.org/880.cfm http://afscme.org/880.cfm Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:53:08 CDT AFSCME Looking for financial support for college?nbsp; Each year the AFSCME Family Scholarship Program provides at leastnbsp;10nbsp;$2,000 scholarshipsnbsp;to high school seniors that will be renewed for $2,000 each year for a maximum of four years, provided the student remains enrolled in a full-time course of study. The scholarship may be used for any field of study. http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=20sid=1719159 http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=20sid=1719159 Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:57:53 CDT Federal News Radio Gay and straight feds and retirees at Justice, Interior, GSA, OPM, Defense and all other agencies are asking when their agencies will extend the limited domestic partner benefits that have been okayed for Foreign Service staffers at the State Department. The short answer is that it will be awhile, maybe quite awhile before State's proposal, announced in June, will be adopted by other federal agencies or extended to the thousands of State Department employees who are under the civil service... http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/business/17union.html?_r=2ref=us http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/business/17union.html?_r=2ref=us Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:01:24 CDT NY Times A half-dozen senators friendly to labor have decided to drop a central provision of a bill that would have made it easier to organize workers. The so-called card-check provision — which senators decided to scrap to help secure a filibuster-proof 60 votes — would have required employers to recognize a union as soon as a majority of workers signed cards saying they wanted a union. Currently, employers can insist on a secret-ballot election, a higher hurdle for unions. The abandonment of card... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/79828 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/79828 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:30:31 CDT Union members facing financial hardship may be eligible for help from Union Plus - including new grants for qualified union members who are disabled, laid off or facin g large hospital bills. To help union members in these tough economic times, Union Plus has launched a new program called Union SAFE. Union SAFE offers union members college savings grants, credit counseling services, hospital care grants, job loss grants, mortgage assistancenbsp;and a Save My Home Hotlinenbsp;to help any union... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=43178printerfriendlyvers=1 http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=43178printerfriendlyvers=1 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:36:17 CDT Government Executive Two senators have introduced an amendment to the fiscal 2010 Defense authorization bill that would advance a range of pay and benefits reforms for federal employees. Sens. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, unveiled language on Tuesday that would move federal employees in Alaska, Hawaii and the U.S. territories from cost-of-living-adjustments to the locality pay system that applies to workers in the contiguous United States. It also would let civil servants in the Federal... http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/24203.html http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/24203.html Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:08:48 CDT Politico Thousands of grassroots activists and labor workers from across the country flooded Capitol Hill Thursday for a high-volume rally for health care reform. The rally came as President Barack Obama's plan encounters its toughest resistance on Capitol Hill yet. Republicans are mounting stiff opposition to a public option, and members of both parties have sticker shock over the projected costs of reform. Supporters vowed Thursday not to back down. "We want health care reform," told Sen. Chuck... http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_148/news/35990-1.html?type=printer_friendly http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_148/news/35990-1.html?type=printer_friendly Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:11:08 CDT Roll Call President Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats risk a major rift with their union allies if they decide to pay for health care reform by taxing employer-provided health benefits, according to union sources. nbsp; An alliance of unions oppose the idea, which is being considered by the Senate Finance Committee. Repealing the exclusion is a potentially rich trove of revenue that, if fully done, could pay for nearly the entire projected $1 trillion to $1.6 trillion cost of a health care... http://www.afscmeblog.org/2009/06/08/house-passes-paid-parental-leave-for-federal-employees/ http://www.afscmeblog.org/2009/06/08/house-passes-paid-parental-leave-for-federal-employees/ Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:23:38 CDT AFSCME Saul Schniderman, President of AFSCME Local 2910, speaks with Rep. Carolyn Maloney at a press conference in support of H.R. 626.The House passed the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act (H.R. 626) by a vote of 258 to 154 on June 4. Saul Schniderman, President of the Library of Congress Professional Guild, AFSCME Local 2910, joined the bill's sponsor, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), for a press conference and spoke in support of the bill. nbsp; A potentially harmful amendment submitted by... http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=35sid=1689611 http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=35sid=1689611 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:15:16 CDT Federal News Radio The House once again granted civilian agency employees four weeks of paid leave after the birth or adoption of a child or during the initial period of foster care. nbsp; Late last night, House lawmakers voted 258 to 154 to pass the Federal Employee Paid Parental Leave Act. nbsp; This is the second time in two years the House passed such a bill. nbsp; Rep. Carol Maloney (D-N.Y.) says should the bill become law, it would end a 15-year struggle to get civilian agency employees a benefit... http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/46949827.html http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/46949827.html Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:20:40 CDT WHSV Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) joined Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) and interested groups representing 2.7 million government employees Thursday in support of the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act, H.R. 626, which would provide federal employees with four weeks of paid parental leave after the birth or adoption of a child. The bill will be debated and voted on by the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday. On January 30, Webb re-introduced the Senate version of the legislation, S.354, and... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/18/AR2009051803171.html?hpid=topnews http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/18/AR2009051803171.html?hpid=topnews Tue, 19 May 2009 10:46:20 CDT The Washington Post A serious logjam in the U.S. Copyright Office has created a growing mountain of paper applications, more than the staff can process. Like the marching buckets of water in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," the envelopes just keep coming, threatening to flood the operation... ...The problems began last July when the copyright agency implemented the electronic system, which replaced a paper-based process that had been in place for decades. The union that represents the copyright workers, Library... http://www.artists4workerschoice.org/ http://www.artists4workerschoice.org/ Thu, 14 May 2009 09:44:35 CDT Artists for Workers Choice Watch the video explaining why Artists Support thenbsp; Employee Free Choice Act and the Freedom to Form Unions and Bargain. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h4o-2UyEwyzOPDDpVQ41Am_bgVfQD984R8U83 http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h4o-2UyEwyzOPDDpVQ41Am_bgVfQD984R8U83 Thu, 14 May 2009 07:04:28 CDT Associated Press Vice President Joe Biden, making a renewed pitch for a major change in labor law, told union leaders Tuesday that the best way to rebuild the middle class is to help labor unions grow. Biden said it's time to "level the playing field" for unions by passing a bill that would make it easier for workers to organize. "You've got to climb up a hill with so many roadblocks on the way to organize that it's just out of whack," Biden told a conference of the American Federation of State, County and... http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/05/07/parental-leave-bill-for-fed-workers-advances/ http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/05/07/parental-leave-bill-for-fed-workers-advances/ Mon, 11 May 2009 11:18:25 CDT AFL-CIO Federal workers would be allowed four weeks of paid family leave to care for a newborn or adopted child under a bill approved by the full House Oversight and Government Reform Committee yesterday.nbsp;nbsp; But the relatively routine markup did have its bizarre, sure-to-be-a-Daily-Show-with-Jon-Stewart moment, when one committee member warned that federal workers might abuse the bill by adopting children year after year to get those four weeks off with pay. More on that below.nbsp; The... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/29/AR2009042904440.html?sub=AR http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/29/AR2009042904440.html?sub=AR Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:25:37 CDT The Washington Post Deep inside the current swine flu scare, there may be a silver lining for federal employees -- greater acceptance of telework in musty bureaucracies. nbsp; Although increased telecommuting has been a federal workplace goal for many years, statistics show a difference between theory and practice. Part of the problem has been managers who are reluctant to approve at-home working arrangements because they can't see -- which really means they don't trust -- staffers who aren't in their... http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0409/043009e1.htm http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0409/043009e1.htm Mon, 04 May 2009 08:29:35 CDT AFSCME Council 26 Legislation introduced on Wednesday by Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., would suspend public-private job competitions indefinitely and encourage agencies to bring contracted work back in-house. The Correction of Longstanding Errors in Agencies Unsustainable Procurements (CLEAN UP) Act (S. 924) goes a step beyond language in the fiscal 2009 omnibus spending package by barring public-private competitions indefinitely, rather than through the end of the fiscal year. Under Mikulski's bill,... http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/opinion/28herbert.html?_r=1 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/opinion/28herbert.html?_r=1 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:26:43 CDT The New York Times I'm sure everyone is thrilled to know that the high rollers on Wall Street are bouncing back. With profits on the rebound, the big shots at the biggest institutions are on track, as The Times reported Sunday, to make as much money this year as they were hauling in before the mega-recession began. The growing legions of the unemployed can be forgiven for not shouting hallelujah. It's a little like watching the drunken driver who plowed into your family car and caused untold havoc and... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/78021 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/78021 Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:36:30 CDT On Thursday the [California] Senate approved legislation that would make it easier for farm workers to organize and help enforce workplace laws. nbsp; The bill sponsored by Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) the California Employee Free Choice Act for Farm Workers, mirrors the federal Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which would also make it easier for workers to organize a union by allowing the "card check" method of organizing. nbsp; Steinberg's bill will permit... http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?sid=1646206nid=20 http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?sid=1646206nid=20 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:25:41 CDT Federal News Radio Federal and postal workers, who make up a substantial chunk of the nation's National Guard and Reserve units, won't lose any of their civilian salaries when they are called up for active duty. We first reported the pending change on March 19. Now it's official! The Office of Personnel Management has notified other agencies that mobilized federal and postal employees are entitled to two things: Guaranteed re-employment when they return, and "a supplemental payment equal to the amount by... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/77642 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/77642 Wed, 08 Apr 2009 06:49:31 CDT Third Annual Labor Night at Nationals Park http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=20pid=sid=1637721page=1 http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=20pid=sid=1637721page=1 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:45:31 CDT AFSCME Council 26 Members of the federal family, active and retired, have lots of big ticket items at play on Capitol Hill. They range from the size of the federal-military January pay raise to paid parental leave and a new sick-leave-saver incentive. Because there are so many serious proposals in the legislative pipeline many feds would like daily updates on their progress. Some of the more eager (and hopeful) would like hourly alerts. But that really isn't necessary because this is what is going to... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/77261 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/77261 Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:42:51 CDT Reduce debt and boost credit scores with the new online Union Credit Doctornbsp;from Union Plus. The free twelve-part video presentation provides practical advice on dealing with credit and debt, and features consumer credit expert Gerri Detweiler. The video segments - which include "What to do if you have a problem paying the mortgage," "Fast and easy ways to set up a budget" and "Ways to avoid credit card fees" - provide union members with the necessary tools to reduce debt and boost credit... http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/03/20/wsj-employee-free-choice-does-not-eliminate-secret-ballots/ http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/03/20/wsj-employee-free-choice-does-not-eliminate-secret-ballots/ Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:28:03 CDT AFL-CIO A striking concession today from the hard-right, corporate-friendly editorial board of the Wall Street Journal: In the midst of an angry editorial against the Employee Free Choice Act, the authors undermine years of messaging by anti-worker corporate groups by acknowledging: The bill doesn't remove the secret ballot option from the National Labor Relations Act…. However, the Journal writes erroneously that the bill makes secret ballots a "dead letter." But as we've pointed out many times,... http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/03/18/contracts-cant-be-brokenunless-they-involve-union-workers/ http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/03/18/contracts-cant-be-brokenunless-they-involve-union-workers/ Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:47:31 CDT AFL-CIO Contracts can't be broken. We learned that lesson well over the past few days when AIG honchos swore that despite being bailed out by $173 billion in taxpayer funds, they couldn't break the sacrosanct contractual bond that guaranteed billions in bonuses to the same top executives who brought the insurance giant to its knees. nbsp; But we also were taught another lesson in these months of financial chaos: Contracts can't be changed—unless they involve unionized autoworkers. nbsp; Tim... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/16/AR2009031602946.html?wpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletter http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/16/AR2009031602946.html?wpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletter Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:14:49 CDT Washington Post Step by step, federal employees are feeling the impact of the Obama administration on their lives. The latest step came yesterday when the Pentagon and Office of Personnel Management announced that, pending a review, no more civilian employees would be moved from the long-established General Schedule -- aka GS -- method of classifying workers to the much-maligned National Security Personnel System. The review could turn into an NSPS obituary. "This administration is committed to... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=42228dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=42228dcn=e_gvet Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:51:43 CDT Government Executive Competitive sourcing, one of the Bush administration's most controversial government reform policies, could be coming to an end. The 2009 omnibus appropriations bill, which passed the Senate on Tuesday, includes a provision prohibiting the use of funds governmentwide to study or hold a public-private job competition for the remainder of fiscal 2009. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., introduced the measure. Although the omnibus halts job competitions through the... http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0309/030409e1.htm http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0309/030409e1.htm Fri, 06 Mar 2009 07:27:57 CST Government Executive President Obama on Wednesday ordered the Office of Management and Budget to undertake an in-depth review of the government's contracting efforts, including the outsourcing of work historically performed by federal employees. A memorandum Obama issued requires the OMB director to work with the Defense secretary, NASA administrator, General Services Administration chief, Office of Personnel Management director and others to develop guidance on strengthening contract oversight, ending... http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/prominent_economists_call_for_passage_of_the_employee_free_choice_act/#When:14:50:07Z http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/prominent_economists_call_for_passage_of_the_employee_free_choice_act/#When:14:50:07Z Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:03:48 CST Economic Policy Institute Although its collapse has dominated recent media coverage, the financial sector is not the only segment of the U.S. economy running into serious trouble. The institutions that govern the labor market have also failed, producing the unusual and unhealthy situation in which hourly compensation for American workers has stagnated even as their productivity soared. Indeed, from 2000 to 2007, the income of the median working-age household fell by $2,000- an unprecedented decline. In that time,... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090210/ap_on_go_ot/faa_computers http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090210/ap_on_go_ot/faa_computers Tue, 10 Feb 2009 08:51:55 CST Yahoo Hackers broke into the Federal Aviation Administration's computer system last week, accessing the names and Social Security numbers of 45,000 employees and retirees. nbsp; The agency said in a statement Monday that two of the 48 files on the breached computer server contained personal information about employees and retires who were on the FAA's rolls as of the first week of February 2006. nbsp; The server that was accessed was not connected to the operation of the air traffic control... http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?sid=1596818nid=20 http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?sid=1596818nid=20 Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:22:24 CST Federal News Radio Given the state of the economy and the salary freeze at the White House, federal workers could be looking at a microscopic pay raise in 2010. Or even a pay freeze. In one of his first acts as president, Mr. Obama slapped a pay freeze on White House staffers making $100,000 or more. Congress is considering legislation that would limit Wall Street executives who take the tax-payer financed economic stimulus/handout (choose one) to a belt-tightening $400k per annum. Oh, the humanity! But... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/76423 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/76423 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:08:16 CST Carl Goldman, the Executive Director of AFSCME Council 26, emailed me with another take on the debate shaping up on how to move forward with a revival of labor-management partnerships. "The major problem with Clinton's executive order labor-management relations was that there was no enforcement on the management requirement to negotiate over the "permissive" areas of the federal labor-management statute, i.e. "the numbers, types and grades of employees or positions assigned to any... http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/02/06/obama-overturns-bush-exec-order-on-project-labor-agreements/ http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/02/06/obama-overturns-bush-exec-order-on-project-labor-agreements/ Tue, 10 Feb 2009 07:32:19 CST AFL-CIO The men and women in the nation's building and construction trades won a major victory today when Presidentnbsp;Obama signed an executive order overturning the Bush administration's ban on project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal and federally funded construction. The ban was one of the first orders signed by former President George W. Bushnbsp;when he took office in 2001. Mark H. Ayers, president of the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD), praised Obama's action,... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/02/AR2009020200377.html?wpisrc=newsletter http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/02/AR2009020200377.html?wpisrc=newsletter Mon, 02 Feb 2009 10:24:01 CST Washington Post A bill to provide four weeks of paid leave to federal employees after the birth or adoption of a child has been introduced in the U.S. Senate, a measure supporters say will boost recruitment and retention of younger workers for the government. nbsp; Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), who introduced the bill Friday, called the matter "an issue of fairness for federal employees." The bill follows a similar measure introduced in the House on Jan. 22. Opponents have raised concerns about the cost of the... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/76229 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/76229 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 10:21:31 CST President Obama signed a series of executive orders yesterday that he said should "level the playing field" for labor unions in their struggles with management. Union officials say the new orders by Obama will undo Bush administration policies that favored employers over workers. nbsp; The orders will: ˇ Require federal contractors to offer jobs to current workers when contracts change. ˇ Reverse a Bush administration order requiring federal contractors to post notice that workers can... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/30/AR2009013001873.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/30/AR2009013001873.html Mon, 02 Feb 2009 10:17:20 CST Washington Post "We need to level the playing field for workers and the unions that represent their interests.nbsp;I do not view the labor movement as part of the problem. To me, it's part of the solution." http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/us/08labor.html?_r=1scp=1sq=AFL-CIOst=cse http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/us/08labor.html?_r=1scp=1sq=AFL-CIOst=cse Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:20:17 CST NY Times The presidents of 12 of the nation's largest labor unions called Wednesday for reuniting the American labor movement, which split apart three and a half years ago when seven unions left the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and formed a rival federation. The union presidents issued their joint call after the transition team for President-elect Barack Obama signaled that it would prefer dealing with a united movement, rather than a fractured one that often had two competing voices. David E. Bonior, a member... http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-diary/2009/01/federal_government_model_emplo.html?hpid=news-col-blog http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-diary/2009/01/federal_government_model_emplo.html?hpid=news-col-blog Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:40:58 CST The Washington Post How do most federal employees rate Uncle Sam -- as a model employer or a work in progress? If you said model employer, I have a Senate seat to sell you. The federal Merit Systems Protection Board has examined a series of issues surrounding that question through surveys of federal workers conducted periodically since 1983. The board summarizes the findings in a new report, “The Federal Government: A Model Employer or a Work in Progress?” The good news is that “the federal... http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/29/opinion/29mon1.html?_r=1themc=th http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/29/opinion/29mon1.html?_r=1themc=th Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:12:24 CST NY Times There is no doubt that President-elect Barack Obama has chosen a labor secretary who could be a transformative force in a long-neglected arena. The question is whether he will let her. Hilda Solis, a United States representative from Southern California, is the daughter of immigrant parents with union jobs. She has been an unfailing advocate of workers’ rights during eight years in Congress and before that, in California politics. Ms. Solis has been a leader on traditional workplace... http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/opinion/23herbert.html?_r=1emc=eta1 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/opinion/23herbert.html?_r=1emc=eta1 Thu, 25 Dec 2008 08:27:35 CST NY Times Toward the end of an important speech in Washington last month, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, said to her audience: “Think of a teacher who is staying up past midnight to prepare her lesson plan... Think of a teacher who is paying for equipment out of his own pocket so his students can conduct science experiments that they otherwise couldn’t do... Think of a teacher who takes her students to a ‘We, the People’ debating competition over... http://candorville.com/2008/12/15/candorville-121508-the-economic-bailout-part-1/ http://candorville.com/2008/12/15/candorville-121508-the-economic-bailout-part-1/ Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:26:17 CST Candorville nbsp; http://www.sweatfree.org/shopping http://www.sweatfree.org/shopping Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:22:01 CST AFSCME Council 26 SweatFree Communities and International Labor Rights Forum are excited to bring you the 2009 Shop with a Conscience Consumer Guide filled with excellent products made in good working conditions. We believe that one of the most important criteria for meaningful and dignified work is that workers themselves have an effective, collective voice in determining their wages and working conditions. Therefore all the products in this shopping guide are made by workers organized into democratic unions... http://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/2008/contracting_reform.html http://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/2008/contracting_reform.html Thu, 11 Dec 2008 07:51:38 CST Center for American Progress Action The federal government is failing to live up to its legal and moral obligations as a model employer. Through numerous laws and executive orders, Congress and the executive branch have expressed a clear and long-standing objective to set and enforce high standards for the treatment of contracted workers. The federal government, however, is falling far short of this goal. Instead of helping to create quality jobs, all too often the federal government contracts with companies that pay very low... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=41602dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=41602dcn=e_gvet Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:14:54 CST Government Executive The Democratic Congress is unlikely to take on many investigations or oversight hearings scrutinizing the incoming Obama administration in its next session, which could lead lawmakers to steer their oversight focus toward contractors, procurement experts said on Wednesday. "I think the oversight on the Hill is going to be fairly gingerly applied the first couple of months ... they'll give this administration a chance to get people in place and priorities started," said Alan Chvotkin, vice... http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3852110 http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3852110 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:25:58 CST Federal Times President George W. Bush last week took away collective bargaining rights for about 1,500 employees, almost all of them at the Justice Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). An executive order that Bush signed Dec. 1 also removed the possibility for employees at 36 other agencies and offices — mostly intelligence, investigative or national security agencies — to join a union. Those agencies are in the Homeland Security, Justice, Treasury, Transportation... http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97535322 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97535322 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:39:44 CST NPR President-elect Obama has said he wants public employees to take back some of the work that the Bush administration has given to contractors — and he wants to crack down on contractors' abuses. But the president-elect could face huge obstacles. Bush administration officials have hired corporations to do more of the government's work than ever before — twice as much, in dollars. And even though the government's own investigations reveal that many of those corporate contractors have bungled... http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97322339 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97322339 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:36:42 CST NPR The economic crisis. Two wars. A flood of wounded veterans. Those are just a few of the huge problems that President-elect Barack Obama will face in office. But the president-elect has said he also plans to grapple with a dilemma that's much less visible: the explosion in government contracts under the Bush administration. The Bush administration has hired private industry to take over more of the government's work than any administration ever. It has made history: -Since President Bush... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/24/AR2008112402752.html?wpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletter http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/24/AR2008112402752.html?wpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletter Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:50:52 CST The Washington Post One of the good things about being a federal employee is the benefits package. The choice of health insurance plans, for example, is enough to make a private-sector worker jealous. If there's a downside to that variety, it's that the choices are so great that Frank and Flo Fed can be confused by all the possibilities. That's where Checkbook's 2009 Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees comes in handy. Published by the nonprofit Center for the Study of Services, which also publishes... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/18/AR2008111802787_pf.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/18/AR2008111802787_pf.html Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:57:08 CST Washington Post As The Washington Post reported this week, President-elect Barack Obama wrote American Federation of Government Employees in October promising that he would do everything in his power to rebuild the federal service. He also promised to protect collective bargaining rights and to restore funding cuts that have eviscerated the federal government's ability to faithfully execute the laws. The past eight years have been a horror to many federal employees. The Bush administration has rarely missed... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/74210 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/74210 Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:41:26 CST When President Obama takes over in January as manager-in-chief of nearly 2 million federal employees, he will need a plan to reinvigorate a frustrated and demoralized workforce, career employees warn. http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/73293 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/73293 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:19:28 CDT "Your help with food and my rent really saved the day for me," said one grateful Community Services Agency (CSA) client. "I would have been on the street without your assistance." nbsp; Your contribution to the CSA through Combined Federal campaigns now going on in your workplace will make a huge and tangible difference in the lives of working families in the metro Washington area. nbsp; As little as a dollar a week will help the Community Services Agency keep providing emergency... http://www.fedsmith.com/article/1735/ http://www.fedsmith.com/article/1735/ Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:28:48 CDT Fedsmith Readers of the FedSmith site have been asking questions about the health benefits premiums they will be paying in 2009. nbsp; According to OPM, federal employees in the FEHBP will pay, on average about 8% more for their health coverage next year. The reality is that the average increase in cost may not be that important as some are going up much more and some will be going up less than the 8%. There are about 269 different options available and there is a wide range of price changes. nbsp;... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/73095 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/73095 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:46:53 CDT The law firm of Ashcraft amp; Gerel, LLP offers a scholarship to area union members and their families to help with the high cost of education. http://www.fedsmith.com/article/1729/ http://www.fedsmith.com/article/1729/ Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:22:42 CDT Fedsmith There is plenty of negative financial news filling the airwaves. As of this writing, the I fund is down almost 30% for the year; the C fund is down more than 23% and the S fund is down almost 19%. You can check the daily performance of your TSP in this portion of the TSP corner. But the news is not all bad for federal employees. Federal retirees are in line to get a COLA that is going to be about 6% in January (the final figure will be calculated in October.). In response to those readers... http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/major-progressive-labor-leaders-demand/story.aspx?guid=%7b54578A04-BB20-40A9-8A35-343E6133505E%7ddist=hppr http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/major-progressive-labor-leaders-demand/story.aspx?guid=%7b54578A04-BB20-40A9-8A35-343E6133505E%7ddist=hppr Fri, 26 Sep 2008 07:17:39 CDT The Wall Street Journal Major progressive, labor and consumer rights leaders joined forces today to demand important corrections to the Bush administration's financial rescue proposal despite warnings from the administration's top economists who got us into this mess. The groups, representing more than 20 million Americans, sent a letter to members of Congress today urging them to require basic conditions before agreeing to any financial bailout request. The groups also announced that hundreds of events will be... http://www.governmentexecutive.com/basics/hatchact.htm http://www.governmentexecutive.com/basics/hatchact.htm Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:02:07 CDT Government Executive What Is It? The Hatch Act is the 1939 law that regulates the political activities of federal employees and some state and local government workers. The legislation originally prohibited nearly all partisan activity by federal employees, banning them from endorsing candidates, distributing campaign literature, organizing political activities and holding posts in partisan organizations. Those restrictions were loosened in the early 1990s after a battle that dated back to the 1984... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/71756 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/71756 Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:32:36 CDT Wellington Chibebe does not look like a dangerous man. A quiet man of average height, he doesn't stand out in a crowd. But a crowd is exactly where you're most likely to find Chibebe - Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions - and his outspokenness on behalf of Zimbabwe's workers has led the government there to arrest him nine times in the last five years, most recently in May, when he was shackled, held in solitary confinement and subjected to long interrogations,... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=40699dcn=todaysnews http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=40699dcn=todaysnews Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:04:02 CDT Government Executive Gas prices are up $1.13 per gallon since the summer of 2007. Agencies are struggling to inculcate cultures of performance. Hackers and employee carelessness have made information technology security a major concern. A new generation of federal recruits wants workplace flexibility. Labor and management find it hard to agree on just about anything. Ensuring continuity of operations has more urgency in a post-Sept. 11 world. In the face of all these challenges, the federal government is... http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=22sid=1451442 http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=22sid=1451442 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:29:45 CDT Federal News Radio Looking forward to a pay raise? Would you like to be reimbursed for what is now use-it-or-lose-it sick leave? If the answer is yes to either or both, the news is good. Congress is on a roll. Up to a point! First, the good news: 1.nbsp; Congress is moving right along to nail down a 3.9 percent white collar pay raise effective next January. That raise will be subject to locality pay calculations which could boost it considerably for feds in many cities where private sector pay is high.... http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=7 http://www.federalnewsradio.com/index.php?nid=7 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:04:54 CDT Federal News Radio I once worked for an outfit that decided it needed a pay-for-performance plan. Prior to the change, we all got the same percentage pay raise each year. Obviously that meant that higher paid people got bigger pay raises, but hey, that's life! We all got the same percentage which, we thought in our ignorance, was all that mattered. People could and did make side deals for more money, but by-and-large we all got the same raise each year. Until... A newly-arrived MBA, who knew nothing about... http://www.afscme.org/press/19906.cfm http://www.afscme.org/press/19906.cfm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:02:09 CDT AFSCME The nation's largest public service union to dramatically reduce paper use, forego bottled water, and serve local, organically grown food during Convention beginning July 28. Washington, D.C. — The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the 1.6-million-member public service union, is planning their "greenest" convention ever during their 38th International Convention in San Francisco from July 28 to August 1. The union, nicknamed "the Green Machine," for... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/70840 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/70840 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:46:43 CDT Did you know that AFSCME offers a free Investor Education Program? The Investor Education for Working Families workshops provide bias-free personal investment learning opportunities through self-paced online classes and resource materials specially designed for union members and their families. For more information click on the link below http://invested.afscme.org/BI.aspx http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/24/AR2008062401215_pf.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/24/AR2008062401215_pf.html Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:49:18 CDT We've seen the federal government at its worst over the past six months. Consider the controversies over contaminated tomatoes and meat, tainted toys, toxic trailers, counterfeit Heparin, aircraft groundings, veterans' care, missing warheads and unrelenting contract fraud. For every NASA success on the surface of Mars, there seems to be a failure back on Earth. http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=40281dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=40281dcn=e_gvet Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:26:10 CDT The House on Thursday passed legislation that would institute a paid parental leave policy for all federal employees. The House voted 278-146 to pass H.R. 5781, which would provide four weeks of paid maternal or paternal leave for the birth or adoption of a child. It would, for the first time, let new parents use their accrued sick leave for an additional eight weeks of paid leave. http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=40114dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=40114dcn=e_gvet Fri, 30 May 2008 16:05:44 CDT Government Executive Although their goals remain relatively similar, House and Senate lawmakers appear to be following noticeably different paths toward implementing a series of much debated contracting reform bills. Last week, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, introduced a wide-ranging set of acquisition provisions that covers everything from prohibiting the use of lead systems integrators to providing greater protection for private sector... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69258 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69258 Mon, 19 May 2008 07:16:35 CDT At the Internal Revenue Service, one employee over a two-year period took sick leave on 13 of the 14 Tuesdays after a Monday holiday. That's an extreme case of sick-leave abuse, but the IRS employee had plenty of co-workers who also liked to take Tuesdays off, a report by the Inspector General for Tax Administration found. For weeks that had a holiday falling on a Monday, 27 percent of all sick leave at the IRS was taken on a Tuesday in 2005 and 2006, the report said. And 24 percent of... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39847dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39847dcn=e_gvet Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:33:16 CDT Government Executive The House passed three pieces of contracting legislation on Wednesday aimed at increasing transparency in contracting and avoiding waste, fraud and abuse. The 2007 Government Contractor Accountability Act (H.R.3928) would require companies to disclose the names and salaries of their most highly compensated officers if more than 80 percent of their annual revenue came from federal contracts and they held contracts worth more than $25 million in any fiscal year. The compensation of heads of... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68748 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68748 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:11:13 CDT The federal government has an opportunity to take the lead in promoting telework, but hurdles remain, Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) said today. "With plenty of encouragement and congressional oversight, the federal government can set the example for teleworking," Davis said at the Spring 2008 Telework Exchange Town Hall Meeting in Washington. "I'm one of those individuals who believes that you can't lead where you don't go, and you can't teach what you don't know," said Davis, chairman of the... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/15/AR2008041502979_pf.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/15/AR2008041502979_pf.html Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:30:42 CDT Washington Post A proposal to provide eight weeks of paid parental leave to federal employees was cut to four weeks by a key House Democrat yesterday as Republicans expressed concerns about the benefit's cost. Still, Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said four weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child would make the government a leader in strengthening families and would be a "prudent fiscal approach." Waxman's scaled-back leave... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68495 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68495 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:47:48 CDT ...a resolution to grant all federal employees, including members of the military, access to the House exercise facility also passed the House unanimously. The gym, open for a little more than two years, is in the southwest corner of the Rayburn building. Only House staff members are currently allowed to use its equipment. The resolution put forward by Brady would grant gym access to active military members who are working in the House's military liaison office.... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39783dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39783dcn=e_gvet Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:05:57 CDT Government Executive Today millions of procrastinating Americans will rush to their local post office to make sure they file their tax returns on time. For contractors interested in doing business with the federal government, missing this year's deadline may be particularly costly. On Tuesday, the House approved H.R. 4881, which would withhold large federal contracts and grants from firms that are delinquent in paying taxes. The Contracting and Tax Accountability Act, sponsored by Rep. Brad Ellsworth,... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68324 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68324 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:08:23 CDT Katherine Porzel, the daughter of Walt Porzel, Council 26 Secretary and Local 3925 President (U.S. Department of Agriculture), won an AFSCME Family Scholarship for $2000 per year for four years of college. Ms. Porzel was one of thirteen winners out of approximately 600 applicants. She is currently a senior at George Mason High School and plans to attend James Madison University in the fall. nbsp; In her essay, Katherine spoke of going to work with her father on Take Your Daughter to Work... http://www.afscme.org/about/17418.cfm http://www.afscme.org/about/17418.cfm Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:10:47 CDT AFSCME It's beennbsp;40 years since April 4, 1968, when Dr. King., was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn. Workers have particular reasons to remember and honor Dr. King...He was in Memphis leading a workers cause: A union cause. http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68160 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68160 Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:59:25 CDT Area supermarket workers overwhelmingly approved a new 4-year contract Tuesday. Nearly 10,000 Safeway and Giant workers -- members of UFCW Local 400 -- turned out for the vote at the DC Armory on a contract proposal that maintained pension benefits and no co-pay on healthcare benefits, as well as guaranteeing that Safeway and Giant will cover any increases in healthcare costs. Pay raises over the life of the contract for those at the top of the wage scale - which includes 70% of the current... http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/477913.html http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/477913.html Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:49:00 CDT Miami Herald When Norman Daniels started out with ATamp;T in 1974, he faced unequal treatment and prejudice because he was black. The phone company was under pressure to hire more minorities, but some supervisors were holding black technicians to a higher standard, looking for reasons to flunk them before they passed probation. But Daniels said his union, the Communications Workers of America, helped ensure he and other workers were treated fairly. Now, 34 years later, he is the president of the CWA's... http://www.afscmestore.org/searchresult.aspx?CategoryID=11 http://www.afscmestore.org/searchresult.aspx?CategoryID=11 Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:48:23 CDT AFSCME Council 26 Martin Luther King Jr. shirts, posters and more arenbsp;available from the AFSCME Store. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/25/AR2008032502459.html?hpid=sec-business http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/25/AR2008032502459.html?hpid=sec-business Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:49:20 CDT AFSCME Council 26 For decades, the government has hired at lower grade levels and encouraged employees to work their way to the top. But a study released yesterday suggested that agencies are increasingly turning to job seekers from outside the government to fill upper-level jobs. Many of the upper-level jobs filled by these outsiders were in occupations involving technology, homeland security and national defense -- all priorities of the government since 2000. The majority of the people hired for... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67971 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67971 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:27:38 CDT House Republicans are hoping to strip a controversial provision from a Democratic procurement oversight bill that could allow large federal contractors to be targeted for suspension or debarment based on the actions of a select few employees, according to a congressional aide who specializes in contracting measures. nbsp; The staffer, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on the record to the media, said the Contractors and Federal Spending Accountability Act (H.R.... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67846 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67846 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:15:06 CDT Well over 100 activists have already signed up to support local supermarket workers in their fight for a fair contract. Many are downloading pocket-sized worker support cards to give to their neighborhood checkout clerks, while others will be delivering solidarity cards to local store managers or helping organize leafleting actions outside their neighborhood Giant or Safeway. Community support for grocery workers is key to their winning a just contract; negotiations are ongoing and the... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39530dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39530dcn=e_gvet Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:51:51 CDT AFSCME Council 26 A bill to set up a public database on federal contractor performance and misconduct won approval Thursday from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee despite Republican concerns the measure could allow unfair attacks on contractors as well as end up barring large companies from receiving government contracts. Introduced by Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., and passed by voice vote, the measure (H.R. 3033) would require creation of a publically accessible list of any completed... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/06/AR2008030603657.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/06/AR2008030603657.html Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:12:04 CDT AFSCME Council 26 Last summer, Amy S. Costantino suddenly went into labor and gave birth to twin sons -- 3 1/2 months premature. Each weighed less than two pounds, and they spent 90 days in a neonatal intensive-care unit. She soon was confronted with a stark choice: use the sick leave and vacation time she had accrued over her 16-year career as a federal employee to be with her sons in intensive care, or go back to work and save the paid leave so she could be at home when her sons were released by the... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/03/AR2008030302794.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/03/AR2008030302794.html Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:41:41 CST AFSCME Council 26 It's the start of budget season on Capitol Hill. Congressional budget committees begin writing their fiscal 2009 spending plans this week, no doubt tossing out and reshaping many of President Bush's priorities. Democrats and Republicans -- especially because it's an election year -- will be jousting over spending, taxes, health care, Social Security and other entitlements. It's uncertain where federal employees will end up in this debate. Take next year's federal pay raise. The president... http://federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3405053 http://federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3405053 Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:39:20 CST AFSCME Council 26 Rep. James Moran, D-Va., plans to introduce a bill March 10 that would compensate more retiring federal employees for a portion of their unused sick leave. Moran’s bill would provide employees retiring under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) up to $10,000 in compensation. Employees would be paid 10 percent of the hourly average of their three highest salaries for all but the first 500 hours of their unused sick leave. Employees under FERS currently receive no compensation... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/66863 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/66863 Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:56:57 CST John Lennon may have been just a dreamer about world peace, but he was willing to walk the line when it came to issues of workers' justice. On the day of his death, Lennon was making preparations to fly to San Francisco to attend a rally with striking Teamsters. Lennon was an ardent activist and supported many causes, most notably the anti-war movement. But the strong interest he and his wife, Yoko Ono, took in labor affairs is less familiar to the public. In California, the Teamsters... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/display/ArticleDetails/i/66817/pid/525 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/display/ArticleDetails/i/66817/pid/525 Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:38:23 CST AFSCME Council 26 Workers at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) won a five-and-a-half-year battle against unionbusting last Friday when DHS officials dropped demands to implement a new personnel system that would have curbed union rights, reported Stephen Barr in Wednesday's Washington Post. The personnel system - initiated by the Bush Administration - would have overridden "any provision in a union contract by issuing a department-wide directive," reported Barr. "The rules also would have made it... http://www.fedsmith.com/article/1511/ http://www.fedsmith.com/article/1511/ Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:55:34 CST AFSCME Council 26 In a recent article, we highlighted the proposal from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to change the time in grade requirements for federal promotions. Since this change could have an impact on most of our readers who are still active federal employees, we asked readers for their opinion on the proposal. At first glance, one might think that most federal employees would prefer to have time-in-grade restrictions removed. Taking away these restrictions could mean faster promotions for... http://www.afscme.org/publications/17662.cfm http://www.afscme.org/publications/17662.cfm Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:57:45 CST AFSCME Council 26 PROVIDERS TOGETHER â€" Maryland home care providers voted overwhelmingly in February to organize a union with AFSCME. nbsp; More than 4,000 home care providers throughout the state voted overwhelmingly this month to make AFSCME their union. nbsp; The providers work in the homes of some 20,000 seniors â€" and others with disabilities â€" who otherwise might be consigned to nursing homes or state facilities. Audra Feldman, a Baltimore provider who has been working for years to build a union... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/30/AR2008013003446.html?wpisrc=newsletter http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/30/AR2008013003446.html?wpisrc=newsletter Fri, 01 Feb 2008 11:24:09 CST AFSCME Council 26 The push-and-pull over the 2009 federal pay raise is underway. Ten Washington area House members, led by Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), urged President Bush yesterday to provide equal raises to the civil service and the military next year, a practice they said Congress has encouraged for the past two decades. The president is to send his fiscal 2009 budget recommendations to Congress on Monday, and a pay proposal will be a part of the package. It is not uncommon for Congress and... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/display/ArticleDetails/i/65426/pid/525 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/display/ArticleDetails/i/65426/pid/525 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 08:37:06 CST AFSCME Council 26 A yearlong battle to protect workers rights and stop unionbusting at the Library of Congress (LOC) ended with a major victory for workers Wednesday, reports the LOC Professional Guild, AFSCME Local 2910 website. "This dispute had broad ramifications for the protection of employees rights and union rights in the federal sector," Local 2910 President Saul Schniderman told UNION CITY. LOC management - after losing a fight to force union representatives to report all representational time last... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/65256 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/65256 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:47:23 CST On Thursday, Jan. 17, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) President Gerald W. McEntee will join children at Hollywood Head Start to announce a number of donations to Memphis-area children. The donations include a computer lab and dozens of computers as well as $15,000 and school supplies. nbsp; The group will then proceed to Caldwell Elementary School, where AFL-CIO President John Sweeney will dedicate a computer lab and... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/65244 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/65244 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:22:41 CST If you can’t make it to Memphis this weekend, Martin Luther King is just a click â€" or short subway ride â€" away: Four brief video clips featuring the civil rights leader are now available online from the AFL-CIO. Included are a 10-minute version of “I Am A Man” which tells the story of the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike. King talks about the dignity of labor in the 2-minute “Support for Sanitation Workers” clip, the right to protest in the 1-minute “Somewhere I Read” and... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/09/AR2008010903275.html?wpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletter http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/09/AR2008010903275.html?wpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletter Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:52:57 CST AFSCME Council 26 Just as it appeared the Ping-Pong battle between the Defense Department and its largest union was ending, the union has stepped up to the table for one last serve. The American Federation of Government Employees this week filed an appeal with the Supreme Court to stop a Bush administration effort to curb union rights in the department. The appeal marks the latest bounce in a legal case that began five years ago. Only a few weeks ago, the dispute seemed settled. Congress, as part of the... http://www.opm.gov/oca/08tables/html/dcb.asp http://www.opm.gov/oca/08tables/html/dcb.asp Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:25:16 CST AFSCME Council 26 Salary Table 2008 Incorporating the 2.50% General Schedule Increase and a Locality Payment of 20.89% For the Locality Pay Area of Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA Total Increase: 4.49% Effective Januarynbsp;2008 Annual Rates by Grade and Step Grade Stepnbsp;1 Stepnbsp;2 Stepnbsp;3 Stepnbsp;4 Stepnbsp;5 Stepnbsp;6 Stepnbsp;7 Stepnbsp;8 Stepnbsp;9 Stepnbsp;10 1 20607 21295 21980 22662 23347 23750... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/04/AR2008010402402.html?sub=AR http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/04/AR2008010402402.html?sub=AR Mon, 07 Jan 2008 11:24:06 CST AFSCME Council 26 President Bush signed an executive order yesterday that provides pay raises this year for federal employees, military personnel, Cabinet officers and members of Congress. The order covers about 336,000 federal employees in the Washington-Baltimore region. Workers will receive a 4.49 percent increase under a salary formula that gives higher adjustments to certain metropolitan areas where officials believe federal pay has lagged the private sector the furthest. The average civil service raise... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/01/AR2008010101713.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/01/AR2008010101713.html Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:38:16 CST AFSCME Council 26 The Democratic candidates for president are taking aim at federal contracting, which they describe as shoddy and corrupt. The Republican candidates also have ideas about how to fix the bureaucracy and restore trust in Washington. The presidential campaigns are in high gear this week as Iowans get ready to make their choices, and the contenders' rhetoric is in equally high gear as they pledge to change the government and better manage federal employees. Among the Democrats, Sen. Hillary... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/09/AR2007120900897.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/09/AR2007120900897.html Mon, 10 Dec 2007 10:48:44 CST AFSCME Council 26 It's a compromise aimed at ending four years of controversy. House-Senate negotiators unveiled legislation Friday that would restore collective bargaining rights to unions at the Defense Department, permit the Pentagon to go forward with new pay rules and perhaps ease the angst of many Defense employees. The legislation would modify significant parts of the National Security Personnel System, a Bush administration effort that sought to sharply curb union rights at Defense and to more... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/02/AR2007120201482.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/02/AR2007120201482.html Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:01:31 CST AFSCME Council 26 Employees at the Federal Aviation Administration have been operating under a performance-based pay system for the last decade. Some still don't like it. Tim O'Hara, a 24-year FAA employee, sent a letter last month to Robert A. Sturgell, the agency's acting head, listing his complaints with the pay system. He e-mailed copies to about 1,000 FAA colleagues. The problems with the pay system, O'Hara wrote, "are both myriad and a significant depressant on the morale of the FAA workforce.... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=38676dcn=todays_most_popular http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=38676dcn=todays_most_popular Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:47:30 CST AFSCME Council 26 President Bush moved Wednesday to limit the locality-based increase for white-collar federal civilian employees to 0.5 percent next year, bringing the total overall increase to an average of 3 percent. Under federal law, the president has until the end of November to propose an alternative to pay levels set under procedures laid out in the 1990 Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act. Under that law, employees would be due a 2.5 percent base pay raise in 2008, plus locality pay increases... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/15/AR2007111502364.html?wpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletter http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/15/AR2007111502364.html?wpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletter Mon, 19 Nov 2007 08:19:39 CST AFSCME Council 26 A Senate committee this week approved a bill that would make it possible for more federal employees to become telecommuters, acting a week after supporters of at-home work introduced similar legislation in the House. nbsp; The bills would encourage agencies to allow eligible employees to telecommute four days a month, on average. nbsp; The chief sponsors in the Senate, Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.), said that expanded telecommuting in the government would get cars off... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/05/AR2007110501586.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/05/AR2007110501586.html Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:44:36 CST AFSCME Council 26 Concerned that too few federal employees are getting plugged into telecommuting, House Democrats are drafting legislation that would encourage agencies to allow eligible employees to telework four days a month, on average. Reps. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), chairman of the House federal workforce subcommittee, and John Sarbanes (D-Md.) are the chief sponsors of the proposal, which would require every federal agency to establish a telework policy so more employees could choose to work from home... http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004582.php http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004582.php Wed, 31 Oct 2007 07:10:29 CDT AFSCME Council 26 When John Tanner, the chief of the Justice Department's voting rights section, goes before Congress tomorrow, he'll have a lot to answer for. nbsp; One of the most uncomfortable topics, to be sure, will be continuing charges of discrimination in the section that is supposed to be the font of civil rights enforcement -- charges that point squarely at Tanner himself. Things became so bad that a 33-year veteran analyst sent out an email to colleagues on her last day last December: "I leave... http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004582.php http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004582.php Wed, 31 Oct 2007 07:12:51 CDT AFSCME Council 26 When John Tanner, the chief of the Justice Department's voting rights section, goes before Congress tomorrow, he'll have a lot to answer for. nbsp; One of the most uncomfortable topics, to be sure, will be continuing charges of discrimination in the section that is supposed to be the font of civil rights enforcement -- charges that point squarely at Tanner himself. Things became so bad that a 33-year veteran analyst sent out an email to colleagues on her last day last December: "I leave... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/21/AR2007102101142.html?wpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletter http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/21/AR2007102101142.html?wpisrc=newsletterwpisrc=newsletter Wed, 24 Oct 2007 07:25:54 CDT AFSCME Council 26 The annual open-enrollment season for federal employees is on its way, loaded with insurance industry argot and acronym-laden programs. nbsp; For the first time, the open season is no longer just about health insurance, but also about how to mix and match dental and vision coverage and flexible spending accounts. It's the world of FFS, CDHP, FEDVIP and HCFSA, to name a few. nbsp; To help federal employees navigate the jargon, the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees the... http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/10/15/save-my-home-hotline-set-up-for-union-members http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/10/15/save-my-home-hotline-set-up-for-union-members Wed, 17 Oct 2007 09:50:28 CDT AFSCME Council 26 Many homeowners have adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs)â€"but nearly half who have them admit they do not know how their ARMs adjust or reset, and nearly three-quarters do not know how much their monthly mortgage payments will increase when they do, a new national survey reveals. The survey, conducted Sept. 13â€"25 by Peter D. Hart Research Associates for the AFL-CIO, finds that ARM holders are generally not concerned about mortgage payments until their rates reset. Then anxiety sets in as... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/60074 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/60074 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:06:00 CDT Federal Unions and our allies on Capitol Hill have been working hard to level the playing field in public-private competitions. This is the status of these efforts to date: nbsp; nbsp; HR 2829 The Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act as passed in the House and reported by the Senate Appropriations Committeenbsp;prohibits an executive agency (DOD and other exceptions discussed below) A-76 public-private competition from being won by a private contractor on the basis... http://www.govexec.com/story_page_pf.cfm?articleid=38271printerfriendlyvers=1 http://www.govexec.com/story_page_pf.cfm?articleid=38271printerfriendlyvers=1 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 10:15:48 CDT AFSCME Council 26 A few weeks ago, I wrote about how to decide whether to retire from federal service to work in the private sector or continue in your federal career. Several readers commented about the salary rates I used in the examples, saying they'd like to see how scenarios would work out for employees who don't earn executive-level pay. Others had some questions about computations of Social Security benefits discussed in the column. This week, I'll respond to each of those issues, using a couple of... http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/09/21/workers-joining-afl-cio-unions-at-highest-rate-in-two-generations/ http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/09/21/workers-joining-afl-cio-unions-at-highest-rate-in-two-generations/ Mon, 24 Sep 2007 09:55:06 CDT AFSCME Council 26 The highest priority of the union movement is to help more workers join unions and, in doing so, to open the doors for millions of Americans to enjoy the benefits of union membership. Despite the incessant anti-union efforts of the Bush administration and employers, the union movement is growing. nbsp; The AFL-CIO and its affiliates are working hard to change to organize and train a new generation of organizersâ€"and those efforts are paying off. Workers are choosing to join unions... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2007/09/16/AR2007091601300.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2007/09/16/AR2007091601300.html Tue, 18 Sep 2007 08:46:54 CDT AFSCME Council 26 The Pentagon is taking its first big step to break away from the government's primary pay system, sending a strong signal to Defense Department civilian workers that their salaries will increasingly hinge on job performance. The department's change in pay strategy applies to about 110,000 civil service employees who are in the first phase of the new National Security Personnel System, known as NSPS. The Pentagon will divert money that would have been paid out across the board to these... http://govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37961dcn=todaysnews http://govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37961dcn=todaysnews Mon, 10 Sep 2007 11:34:35 CDT AFSCME Council 26 Legislation that would provide student loan forgiveness for federal employees after 10 years of service will now move to President Bush's desk. The bill (H.R. 2669), sponsored by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., was agreed upon by a conference committee Wednesday and cleared by the House and Senate on Friday. The president, who had threatened to veto the measure, has agreed to sign it. The legislation includes language that would make it easier for college graduates who have high student loan... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/02/AR2007090200955.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/02/AR2007090200955.html Wed, 05 Sep 2007 09:59:59 CDT AFSCME Council 26 The American labor movement is divided on which candidate to support for president. Its membership is at one of its low ebbs in our history. And yet the nation's unions are more politically influential today than they were in the movement's heyday in the 1950s. Organized labor's clout is reflected in a Democratic presidential race in which every candidate is seeking labor's blessing. No Democrat is criticizing unions as "a special interest," a common line of attack from moderate and... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/02/AR2007090200957.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/02/AR2007090200957.html Thu, 06 Sep 2007 07:31:56 CDT AFSCME Council 26 Here's a little something for federal employees to celebrate while flipping the burgers and dogs on the grill this Labor Day: a pay raise drawing bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. The House has approved a 3.5 percent raise for the civil service in January as part of the fiscal 2008 financial services-general government appropriations bill, and a Senate committee has included the proposed raise in its version of the bill. The House also has passed two bills that would provide a 3.5 percent... http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/afl-cio-likely-to-sit-out-primary-endorsement-2007-08-29.html http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/afl-cio-likely-to-sit-out-primary-endorsement-2007-08-29.html Wed, 05 Sep 2007 09:54:40 CDT AFSCME Council 26 A day after two unions announced their presidential endorsements, AFL-CIO leaders said Wednesday their union is still unlikely to throw its support behind a candidate during the primary season. Under current rules, a candidate would need the support of two-thirds of the union’s membership, making it difficult to see how an endorsement could be offered anytime soon, according to Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. nbsp; nbsp;... http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20070828/NATION06/108280058 http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20070828/NATION06/108280058 Wed, 29 Aug 2007 08:02:47 CDT AFSCME Council 26 Time and the financial bottom line are working against a package of attractive bills that would increase most federal workers' take-home pay and trim the federal tax bite on most federal retirees. The two plans, one to cut federal-postal worker premiums and the other to cut taxes for federal retirees, seem like a good idea â€" to federal workers and retirees. But the costly changes are not so popular beyond the Beltway, or in the congressional committees where federal workers and retirees... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37874dcn=todays_most_popular http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37874dcn=todays_most_popular Wed, 05 Sep 2007 11:04:00 CDT AFSCME Council 26 After spending much of 2005 on the defensive in the wake of countless contracting scandals spurred by Hurricane Katrina, acquisition offices at civilian federal agencies had hoped for a more low-key, back-to-basics year. It didn't go quite as planned. nbsp; Within weeks of assuming control of Congress, Democrats initiated a renewed level of oversight of procurement, shining a light on noncompetitive deals, mismanaged and wasteful contracts and ethical missteps at the General Services... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37728dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37728dcn=e_gvet Thu, 16 Aug 2007 07:21:27 CDT AFSCME Council 26 An appeals court has rejected a request from federal employee unions for a full court review of a panel's decision upholding rules that would scale back collective bargaining rights for civilian Defense Department employees. The coalition of unions that had asked the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to review a May ruling in favor of the Defense Department will now take the case to the Supreme Court, said Joe Goldberg, lead attorney for the group. The unions... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/52663 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/52663 Thu, 09 Aug 2007 12:19:52 CDT New York Times The A.F.L.-C.I.O.’s executive council voted on Wednesday against endorsing any presidential candidate, reflecting divisions over which Democrat to support and setting the stage for its 55 member unions to make individual endorsements. Labor leaders said several large unions were leaning strongly toward Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and others toward former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina. The labor federation, which represents 10 million union members, gave the green... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/52379 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/52379 Fri, 03 Aug 2007 12:08:44 CDT One of President Bush's most ambitious efforts to reform government, one that struggled for years to overcome high-level neglect, bureaucratic resistance, and congressional Republican opposition, now faces its Waterloo in the Democratic Congress. ... In the spring of 2006, OMB officials predicted that 26,000 jobs would face competitive bidding during that fiscal year, but only 6,678 jobs did. At last count, fewer than 48,000 government jobs have faced competitive sourcing over the life of the... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/52321 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/52321 Thu, 02 Aug 2007 12:14:18 CDT Danna Thomas, daughter of Duane Thomas, a member of Local 1509 at the Federal Aviation Administration, has received a $1000 AFSCME Advantage Scholarship, which is funded by the Union Privilege Scholarship Program. Danna is one of 103 applicants from 45 AFL-CIO unions who received scholarships from the program for the 2007/2008 school year. Applicants were evaluated on academic ability, character, letters of recommendation and a 500-word essay about their appreciation of the labor movement. In... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/25/AR2007072501882.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/25/AR2007072501882.html Tue, 31 Jul 2007 06:57:53 CDT AFSCME Council 26 You don't trifle with Robin Smith when it comes to keeping America safe. Smith is a former airman first class who won a Sharpshooter badge and was one of 125 women selected by the Air Force for a test combat training program. She comes from a family that was almost a stranger to civilian life; until her brother retired from service in the mid-'90s, she says, "there was a member of my family on active military duty for over 100 consecutive years." Smith is black; her forebears joined up in... http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/31/us/politics/31unions.html?_r=1ref=politicspagewanted=printoref=slogin http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/31/us/politics/31unions.html?_r=1ref=politicspagewanted=printoref=slogin Wed, 01 Aug 2007 07:51:21 CDT AFSCME Council 26 Union leaders say they are so happy with the Democratic presidential aspirants, though unsure of whom to support, that they are unlikely to endorse any of them before the primaries next year. If the unions do delay throwing their weight behind any candidate early in the campaign, it would be particularly frustrating to former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina. Mr. Edwards has vigorously courted unions, hoping to win the coveted A.F.L.-C.I.O. endorsement and the accompanying... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37497dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37497dcn=e_gvet Fri, 20 Jul 2007 09:07:04 CDT AFSCME Council 26 House lawmakers selected to negotiate with the Senate on major homeland security legislation said Tuesday that they are unsure whether they'll be able to address an effort to grant collective bargaining rights to federal airport screeners. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said at a press briefing that conferees are hoping to begin negotiations this week on a bill to implement the unfulfilled recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. But... http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37372dcn=e_gvet http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37372dcn=e_gvet Tue, 03 Jul 2007 11:34:45 CDT AFSCME Council 26 nbsp;A coalition of labor unions on Monday filed a petition for a full appeals court review of a ruling that upheld the Defense Department's new personnel and labor relations rules.The unions are seeking a rehearing of a decision issued in May by a panel of judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia regarding the department's National Security Personnel System. The appeals judges found that the law creating the system grants the Defense Department temporary authority to... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/49161 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/49161 Mon, 18 Jun 2007 10:13:55 CDT Your free speech rights to protest in DC may be in jeopardy. The proposed Noise Law bill -- introduced by Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells and co-sponsored by Councilmembers Mary Cheh (Ward 3) and Kwame Brown (At-large) â€" currently being considered in the DC City Council “would ban the use of bull-horns and ‘loud’ shouting at all protests any time of day,” says Rick Powell, Metro Council Political Coordinator. “Under the existing law, ‘non-commercial public speech’ is... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/49221 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/49221 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:01:00 CDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Given a strong and crowded 2008 Democratic presidential field, a prominent labor leader said on Thursday his union will have a tough time reaching a consensus to make an endorsement before the primaries. Gerald McEntee, president of the public employees union AFSCME and chairman of the AFL-CIO's political committee, said there was only a 35 percent chance his 1.4 million-member union will agree on a Democrat to back in the 2008 White House race. "It's going to be hard... http://http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/05/29/rebusting_the_air_traffic_controllers.php http://http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/05/29/rebusting_the_air_traffic_controllers.php Tue, 29 May 2007 11:54:44 CDT TomPaine.com It’s not easy for air traffic controllers with a Republican in the White House. First, it was Ronald W. Reagan firing 11,000 of them in 1981 for striking to try to better their onerous working conditions. Now, it’s George W. Bush making the conditions even worse. The controllers aren’t the only ones involved. Millions of airline passengers and employees and many fliers who pilot their own aircraft face serious threats to their safety because of what’s being done by the... http://govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37033dcn=todaysnews http://govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=37033dcn=todaysnews Tue, 29 May 2007 12:06:03 CDT GovExec A Senate panel on Thursday approved language that would significantly limit the implementation of a controversial personnel system at the Defense Department and authorize a 3.5 percent 2008 pay raise for members of the military.In a markup of the fiscal 2008 Defense authorization bill that began Wednesday afternoon, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted to repeal the existing authority of the Defense Department to move forward on the labor relations portions of its National Security... http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/47376 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/47376 Tue, 22 May 2007 13:12:58 CDT Over 3,000 tickets have already been sold for the Community Services Agency’s “Labor Night with the Nats” on Friday, 7/20. Tickets are still available! Buy 50 or more tickets and your local’s name will appear on the scoreboard. For more info, email Kathleen McKirchy, kmckirch@dclabor.org. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/21/AR2007052101580_pf.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/21/AR2007052101580_pf.html Tue, 22 May 2007 14:10:46 CDT Labor Coalition to Appeal Ruling at DefenseSteven Barr, Washington Post, May 22, 2007 A coalition of 40 unions representing Defense Department employees will ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review a decision by three of its judges upholding a 2004 law that permits the Pentagon to curtail collective bargaining rights, four union leaders announced yesterday. Click title to read full story. nbsp; http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/47386 http://www.council26.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/47386 Tue, 22 May 2007 14:54:01 CDT Labor Coalition to Appeal Ruling at DefenseSteve Barr, Washington Post, May 22, 2007 A coalition of 40 unions representing Defense Department employees will ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review a decision by three of its judges upholding a 2004 law that permits the Pentagon to curtail collective bargaining rights, four union leaders announced yesterday. The labor leaders -- John Gage of the American Federation of Government Employees, Ron Ault of the...