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Jul 29, 2010 CVC UNION WELCOMES FIRING OF CEO 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... DC Labor more...
Jul 29, 2010 CVC staff describe litany of problems 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... The Hill more
Jul 29, 2010 CVC Employees Union Seeks ‘Change in Management Philosophy’ 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... Roll Call more...
Jul 29, 2010 CVC Staffers, Rouse Speak Out After Chief’s Ouster 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... Roll Call more...
Jul 27, 2010 Americans want a government that works efficiently, report says 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... Washington Post more
Jul 24, 2010 McEntee Urges President Obama, Congress to “Heed Lessons” in New Quinnipiac Poll 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:... AFSCME more
Jul 20, 2010 FISH FRY HELPS USDA LOCAL BUILD MEMBERSHIP 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... DC Labor more...
Jul 13, 2010 Letters sent to the Hill to stop any attempts to freeze or cut federal pay in 2011 A coalition of unions and other organizations, including AFSCME, 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... Council 26 more...
Jul 2, 2010 McEntee protege wins no. 2 spot at AFSCME 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... The Hill more
Jun 30, 2010 Tour Guide Service Hopes to Unionize 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... Roll Call more...
Jun 28, 2010 CAPITOL TOUR STAFF LEAD WAY TO UNION 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... DC labor more...
Jun 18, 2010 Senate deals another blow to efforts to freeze federal pay 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... Government Executive more
Jun 17, 2010 Lawmakers seek better training for supervisors 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... Government Executive more
Jun 17, 2010 2010 Top Lobbyists 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... The Hill more
Jun 15, 2010 Republicans seek pay freeze for federal workers; a 'cynical ploy,' Democrats say 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... The Washington Post more
Jun 11, 2010 Federal Pay Freeze: A November Surprise? 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... Federal News Radio more
Jun 10, 2010 Bag Labeled ‘Anthrax’ Disposed of at CVC 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... Roll Call more
Jun 9, 2010 Travel, Training, Hiring Hit List 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... Federal News Radio more
Jun 7, 2010 CVC Tour Guides Say They Plan to Form Union 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,... Roll Call more
Jun 3, 2010 Regional FLRA official denies petitions for union election at TSA 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... Government Executive more
May 18, 2010 Unfunny potty-parity jokes on Capitol Hill 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... Washington Post more
May 12, 2010 What's Wrong With Big Government? 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,... Politics Daily more
May 7, 2010 Telework bill comes up short in the House 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... Government Executive more
May 6, 2010 House debates telework legislation 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... Government Executive more
May 4, 2010 Federal Diary: OMB director talks IT and workforce issues 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... Washington Post more
Apr 30, 2010 Teleworking, AWS & The Reluctant Boss 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... Federal News Radio more
Apr 29, 2010 Hiring overhaul on the way as soon as next week 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... Government Executive more
Apr 29, 2010 Pay, Benefits Time Check 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... Federal News Radio more
Apr 28, 2010 Workers Memorial Day: Mourn for the Dead, Fight for the Living 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... AFSCME more
Apr 28, 2010 Health coverage delayed for adult children of federal workers 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... McClatchy more
Apr 16, 2010 House panel advances government telework bill 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... Washington Post more
Apr 1, 2010 VILSAK GIVES UNION ITS DUE 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) 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... DC Labor more...
Apr 1, 2010 FWA Letter to Congress 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. AFSCME Council 26 more...
Apr 1, 2010 Obama wants teleworker expansion The federal government could avoid shutting down if more workers had the option to telecommute, President Barack Obama said Wednesday. The Hill more
Apr 1, 2010 President Obama signs proclamation honoring Cesar Chavez 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... United Farm Workers more
Mar 26, 2010 Cadillacs, Dependent Kids & the FEHBP 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... Federal News Radio more
Mar 26, 2010 Telework and benefits bills take one step forward 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... Government Executive more
Mar 26, 2010 MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD (MSPB) HOSTS FEDERAL EMPLOYEE UNIONS 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);... US Merit System Protection Board more...
Mar 25, 2010 Eye Opener: Snow days cost $71M each 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... The Washington Post more
Mar 25, 2010 TSA nominee won't commit to collective bargaining rights 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. ... Government Executive more
Mar 24, 2010 AG DEPT WORKERS WIN NEW CONTRACT 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... DC Labor more...
Mar 3, 2010 AFSCME 2910 CHIEF STEWARD TO RECEIVE WORKPLACE SAFETY AWARD: "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's work exemplifies this." Ernst (l), Local 2910's chief steward, is to be honored today with the "Advocate of... DC labor more...
Mar 2, 2010 Biden to AFL-CIO: Organizing Bill Can Pass 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... Wall Street Journal more
Mar 2, 2010 AFL-CIO Leaders Assemble This Week to Talk Jobs, Strategize 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. Like much that organized labor pushes for these... In These Times more
Mar 1, 2010 Sen. Bunning May Single-handedly Cause 2,000 Federal Worker Furloughs 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 stopped an extension of the Highway Trust Fund for 30 days. That means the fund cannot be used to pay for any ... ABC News more
Mar 1, 2010 Bunning to Jobless Workers: ‘Tough Sh*t’ 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... AFL-CIO more
Feb 25, 2010 New Union for the Unemployed 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. UCubed more...
Feb 17, 2010 Jerry Clark Memorial Scholarship 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... AFSCME more
Feb 8, 2010 In PolitiFact debut, Brown says federal jobs pay twice as much as private sector jobs 12 days after his upset victory in Massachusetts, Republican Sen.-elect Scott Brown made his debut on the Sunday morning talk circuit. He talked about health care, the war in Afghanistan and deficit reduction in an interview with Barbara Walters on the Jan. 31, 2010... politifact.com more
Feb 2, 2010 2011 Pay Raise: Coulda Been Worse 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... Federal News Radio more
Feb 1, 2010 SITTING DOWN TO STAND UP: REMEMBERING GREENSBORO 1960: 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... DC Labor more...
Jan 30, 2010 Council 26 Steward Training (Photo included) 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. By the end of the two days they... Council 26 more...
Jan 21, 2010 Administration to toughen accountability on contractors' taxes 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... Washington Post more
Jan 14, 2010 Haiti Needs Your Help! 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. AFL-CIO more...
Jan 14, 2010 King Day Celebration to Focus on Economic Justice 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... AFL-CIO more
Jan 12, 2010 President Signals Flexibility on Health Plan Tax 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... NY Times more
Jan 12, 2010 Unions say: protect FEHBP! 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. AFSCME Council 26 more...
Jan 11, 2010 New Federal Workers Labor Alliance Formed Federal workers alliance (FWA) will give labor organizations a stronger voice to fight for federal workers. To read the press release click here. AFSCME more...
Jan 11, 2010 Labor leaders object to 'Cadillac tax' for healthcare 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. Obama has... LA Times more
Jan 7, 2010 Obama OKs taxing high-end health plans 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. In a meeting at the White House, Obama expressed... Associated Press more
Jan 5, 2010 Playing Politics and the Illogical Jim DeMint The Republican senator takes an anti-union stance and holds up the confirmation of a TSA chief. 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... Noozhawk more
Dec 14, 2009 Obama gives feds half day off on Christmas Eve 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... Government Executive more
Dec 11, 2009 Obama creates labor-management council 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... Government Executive more
Dec 9, 2009 Federal employees earn 2% pay raise 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... The Washington Post more
Dec 9, 2009 AFSCME today co-sponsored an ad in Roll Call and other newspapers against a tax on federal employee health benefits Click here to see ad. AFSCME more...
Dec 9, 2009 A study shows that federal worker's most popular plan will be hit hard by the Senate tax Click here to read report. Council 26 more...
Dec 7, 2009 Your 2010 Pay Raise: Go Figure 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... Federal News Radio more
Dec 4, 2009 Working in a winter wonderland 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... The Washington Post more
Dec 2, 2009 Workers chafe as Obama reins in raises 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... The Washington Post more
Dec 1, 2009 FAA asked to do more to fix morale 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... The Washington Post more
Nov 24, 2009 The Combined Federal Campaign Read how you can help other working people through the Combined Federal Campaign. DC Labor more
Nov 16, 2009 Maryland lawmaker tries to ease federal employees' fears about health care 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... Government Executive more
Nov 9, 2009 Agencies promote telework as a powerful tool, not a panacea 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... Government Executive more
Nov 9, 2009 On Election Day, a win for government 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... The Washington Post more
Nov 5, 2009 How to avoid drowning in Open Season's flood of choices 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... Washington Post more
Nov 4, 2009 Legislators clash over health care reform's impact on FEHBP 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... Government Executive more
Nov 2, 2009 Domestic Partner Benefits AFSCME submits letter to Senate Committee in support of Domestic Partner benefits. Click here to read the letter. AFSCME more...
Oct 28, 2009 President Signs Defense Bill: Includes Credit for Sick Leave and Abolishes NSPS 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... FedSmith.com more
Oct 23, 2009 AFSCME Defends Feds' Health Benefits 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. AFSCME more...
Oct 23, 2009 Human Resources Changes Include Sick Leave Credit for FERS Employees and Abolishing NSPS 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... FedSmith more
Oct 22, 2009 Government Grows the Economy 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... AFL-CIO more
Oct 21, 2009 Senator Baucus's Excise Tax on Health Insurance will harm Federal Employees 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 years if the Finance Committee bill becomes... Council 26 more...
Oct 20, 2009 Labor unions turn against parts of health bill 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... USA Today more
Oct 16, 2009 Federal Employee Hearings Held 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... AFSCME more...
Oct 14, 2009 AFSCME International's statement on long term care insurance rate hike 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... AFSCME more...
Oct 7, 2009 Compromise Defense policy measure advances retirement reforms 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,... Government Executive more
Oct 6, 2009 Health Premiums: Who's Average? 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... Federal News Radio more
Oct 6, 2009 ’09 DC LABOR FILMFEST KICKS OFF NEXT TUESDAY! 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 13 - 19 and boasts an exciting array of... DC Labor more...
Oct 2, 2009 UNITED WAY FALL CAMPAIGN 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... DC Labor more
Sep 30, 2009 Local 2953 team wins labor golf tournament American Federation of State, City and Municipal Employees Local 2953 memb ers 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... DC Labor more...
Sep 16, 2009 OSHA to Consider Mandating Guidelines On Safety and Health for Federal Agencies 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. Barab made... BNA Occupational Safety and Health Reporter more...
Sep 14, 2009 Report from Columbia “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... DC Labor more...
Sep 12, 2009 What Ever Happened To 'Cool'? 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Sep 11, 2009 TSA Workers Inch Closer To Obtaining More Rights 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... The Washington Post more
Sep 1, 2009 A Small Price to Pay to Fix Federal Hiring Process 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,... The Washington Post more
Aug 10, 2009 NEW GRANTS HELP UNION MEMBERS SAVE FOR COLLEGE 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... DC Labor more...
Aug 3, 2009 The Union Plus Legal Service Difference 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... DC Labor more...
Jul 29, 2009 OMB instructs agencies to save $40 billion annually by streamlining acquisitions Contracting guidance released on Wednesday will help agencies identify $40 billion annually in savings, according to the White House. The Office of Management and Budget issued memos for agency heads aimed at improving acquisition practices, making better use of information on... Government Executive more
Jul 28, 2009 Dr. No Succeeds in Killing Sick-Leave Bill, For Now 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Jul 23, 2009 Federal workforce reforms dropped from Senate Defense authorization bill 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... Government Executive more
Jul 22, 2009 LABOR-MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIP THRIVING AT USDA: 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... DC Labor more...
Jul 21, 2009 AFSCME Family Scholarship Looking for financial support for college? Each year the AFSCME Family Scholarship Program provides at least 10 $2,000 scholarships 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... AFSCME more
Jul 17, 2009 Domestic Partner Benefits 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... Federal News Radio more
Jul 17, 2009 Democrats Drop Key Part of Bill to Assist Unions 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... NY Times more
Jul 16, 2009 CSA’S “NEWS YOU CAN USE”: UnionSAFE from Union Plus 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,... DC Labor more...
Jul 15, 2009 Senators seek to add workforce provisions to Defense bill 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... Government Executive more
Jun 25, 2009 Big Capitol Hill rally for health care 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... Politico more
Jun 18, 2009 Labor Puts President on Notice Over Health Tax 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. An alliance of unions oppose the idea, which is being... Roll Call more
Jun 8, 2009 House Passes Paid Parental Leave for Federal Employees 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... AFSCME more
Jun 5, 2009 House passes paid parental leave bill 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. Late last night, House lawmakers voted 258 to 154 to pass the Federal Employee Paid Parental Leave Act.... Federal News Radio more
Jun 5, 2009 Webb Calls for Support for Paid Parental Leave Act 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... WHSV more
May 19, 2009 Copyright Office Bogged Down by New System 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... The Washington Post more
May 14, 2009 Artists for Workers Choice Watch the video explaining why Artists Support the Employee Free Choice Act and the Freedom to Form Unions and Bargain. Artists for Workers Choice more
May 13, 2009 Biden says unions are way to rebuild middle class 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... Associated Press more
May 7, 2009 Parental Leave Bill for Fed Workers Advances 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. But the relatively routine markup did have its bizarre,... AFL-CIO more
Apr 30, 2009 OPM Chief Thinks Telecommuting Has a Nice Ring to It Deep inside the current swine flu scare, there may be a silver lining for federal employees -- greater acceptance of telework in musty bureaucracies. Although increased telecommuting has been a federal workplace goal for many years, statistics show a difference... The Washington Post more
Apr 30, 2009 Senator seeks indefinite competitive sourcing freeze 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Apr 28, 2009 Workers Walk the Plank 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... The New York Times more
Apr 25, 2009 Farm Worker Employee Free Choice Act Passes the Senate On Thursday the [California] Senate approved legislation that would make it easier for farm workers to organize and help enforce workplace laws. The bill sponsored by Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) the California Employee Free Choice Act for Farm... California Progress Report more...
Apr 10, 2009 Reservists Pay Safety Net 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... Federal News Radio more
Apr 8, 2009 Third Annual Labor Night at Nationals Park CSA, Metro Washington Council more...
Apr 1, 2009 April In Slow Motion 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Mar 23, 2009 Clicking Debt Away Reduce debt and boost credit scores with the new online Union Credit Doctor 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... Metro Washington Council more...
Mar 23, 2009 Employee Free Choice Does NOT Eliminate Secret Ballots 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:... AFL-CIO more
Mar 18, 2009 Contracts Can’t Be Broken—Unless They Involve Union Workers 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... AFL-CIO more
Mar 17, 2009 Controversial Pay-for-Performance Program Put on Hold 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... Washington Post more
Mar 10, 2009 Omnibus bill halts competitive sourcing 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... Government Executive more
Mar 4, 2009 Obama Orders Contracting Overhaul 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... Government Executive more
Feb 25, 2009 Noted economists: The Employee Free Choice Act is needed to restore balance in the labor market 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... Economic Policy Institute more
Feb 10, 2009 FAA says Hackers broke into agency computers 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. The agency said in a statement Monday that two of the 48 files on the breached computer server... Yahoo more
Feb 10, 2009 Pay Raise, What's That? 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.... Federal News Radio more
Feb 6, 2009 Labor Management Partnerships 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... Government Executive more...
Feb 6, 2009 Obama Overturns Bush Exec. Order on Project Labor Agreements The men and women in the nation’s building and construction trades won a major victory today when President 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... AFL-CIO more
Feb 2, 2009 Effort to Increase Parental Leave Benefits for Federal Workers Renewed 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. Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), who... Washington Post more
Jan 31, 2009 Obama Alters Labor Policies 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. ... Washington Post more...
Jan 30, 2009 President Obama views Labor Movement as part of the solution "We need to level the playing field for workers and the unions that represent their interests. I do not view the labor movement as part of the problem. To me, it's part of the solution." Washington Post more
Jan 8, 2009 Labor Calls for Unity After Years of Division 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... NY Times more
Jan 8, 2009 Federal Government: Model Employer or Work in Progress? 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... The Washington Post more
Dec 29, 2008 The Labor Agenda 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... NY Times more
Dec 23, 2008 A Race to the Bottom 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: ā€Think of a teacher who is staying up past midnight to prepare her lesson plan... Think of a teacher who is paying for... NY Times more
Dec 18, 2008 Read how the comic strip "Candorville" takes on union busting. Candorville more
Dec 16, 2008 2009 Shop with a Conscience Consumer Guide 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Dec 11, 2008 Making Contracting Work for the United States 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... Center for American Progress Action more
Dec 11, 2008 Contractors could face increased oversight on the Hill 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... Government Executive more
Dec 8, 2008 Bush slashes union rights for more feds 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... Federal Times more
Dec 2, 2008 New President Faces Powerful Federal Contractors 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... NPR more
Dec 1, 2008 Obama To Tackle Explosion In Federal Contracts 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... NPR more
Nov 25, 2008 Spend That Half-Hour Evaluating Your Health Plan 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... The Washington Post more
Nov 19, 2008 Obama Has a Chance to Reverse Long Erosion of the Federal Service 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... Washington Post more
Nov 7, 2008 Widespread Complaints About a Rudderless Government 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. AFSCME Council 26 more...
Oct 7, 2008 It’s the little things that make a big difference “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.” Your contribution to the CSA through Combined... Metro Washington Council, AFL-CIO more...
Oct 7, 2008 2009 Health Insurance Rates: How Much Will Your Rate Change? Readers of the FedSmith site have been asking questions about the health benefits premiums they will be paying in 2009. 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... Fedsmith more
Oct 1, 2008 Lee C. Ashcraft Memorial Union Scholarship The law firm of Ashcraft & Gerel, LLP offers a scholarship to area union members and their families to help with the high cost of education. Ahshcraft and Gerel, LLP more...
Sep 30, 2008 3.9% Average Pay Raise for Feds in 2009 in Temporary Spending Bill 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 .... Fedsmith more
Sep 24, 2008 Major Progressive and Labor Leaders Demand Conditions For Drastic Financial Bailout 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... The Wall Street Journal more
Aug 29, 2008 The Hatch Act 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,... Government Executive more
Aug 22, 2008 ZIMBABWE LABOR LEADER SPEAKS OUT IN DC 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... DC Labor more...
Aug 11, 2008 Telework becomes more attractive as quality-of-life concerns spike 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... Government Executive more
Aug 1, 2008 Time Is Not On Your Side! 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. Congress is moving right along... Federal News Radio more
Jul 24, 2008 Performance Pay: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? 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... Federal News Radio more
Jul 22, 2008 AFSCME Goes Green 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... AFSCME more
Jul 21, 2008 Investor Education for Working Families 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... AFSCME Council 26 more...
Jun 25, 2008 Can't-Do Government 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... Washington Post more
Jun 19, 2008 House passes paid parental leave bill 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,... Government Executive more
May 30, 2008 Congress pursues dual paths on contracting oversight 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 Executive more
May 15, 2008 Sick-Leave Abuse Prompts Calls to Compensate for Unused Time 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... The Washington Post more...
Apr 23, 2008 House passes three contracting bills 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... Government Executive more
Apr 22, 2008 Government can lead on telework 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,"... Federal Computer Week more...
Apr 16, 2008 Family-Leave Plan Is Halved 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... Washington Post more
Apr 15, 2008 House Passes Bill to Open its Gym to all Federal Employees ...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... The Hill more...
Apr 15, 2008 House passes bill to prevent tax cheats from winning contracts 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... Government Executive more
Apr 10, 2008 Child of AFSCME Council 26 Leader Wins Scholarship 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... AFSCME Council 26 more...
Apr 4, 2008 AFSCME and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It's been 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... AFSCME more
Apr 2, 2008 Supermarket Workers OK Contract 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... DC Labor more...
Apr 1, 2008 Unions beneficial to blacks, report finds When Norman Daniels started out with AT&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... Miami Herald more
Mar 28, 2008 Visit the AFSCME Store Martin Luther King Jr. shirts, posters and more are available from the AFSCME Store. AFSCME Council 26 more
Mar 26, 2008 Top Jobs in Government Increasingly Filled From Outside 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Mar 21, 2008 House GOP eager to strip debarment provision from contracting bill 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... Government Executive more...
Mar 19, 2008 Supermarket Worker Support Campaign Off to Good Start 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... Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO more...
Mar 14, 2008 Government Reform panel passes contractor database bill 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Mar 7, 2008 A Plea for Paid Parental Leave 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Mar 4, 2008 Federal Pay Caught Up in Fiscal 2009 Budget Debates 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Mar 4, 2008 Moran set to propose FERS sick leave reimbursement 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. Moranā€™s bill would provide employees retiring under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) up to $10,000 in... AFSCME Council 26 more
Feb 25, 2008 Come Together: In Solidarity 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... AFSCME Council 26 more...
Feb 21, 2008 DHS Workers Beat Unionbusting 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Feb 15, 2008 Readers Favor Retaining Time-in-Grade Restrictions for Promotions 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Feb 14, 2008 MD Home Care Providers Vote for AFSCME PROVIDERS TOGETHER ā€“ Maryland home care providers voted overwhelmingly in February to organize a union with AFSCME. More than 4,000 home care providers throughout the state voted overwhelmingly this month to make AFSCME their union. The... AFSCME Council 26 more
Jan 31, 2008 Stay the Equal Course on Raises, They Tell Bush 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Jan 22, 2008 Library Workers Win 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Jan 17, 2008 Union Movement Donation and Dedication Ceremony for Memphis ā€“Area Students 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... AFSCME Council 26 more...
Jan 17, 2008 Martin Luther King, Presente! If you canā€™t make it to Memphis this weekend, Martin Luther King is just a click ā€“ or short subway ride ā€“ 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 ā€ I Am A Man ā€¯ which tells... more...
Jan 10, 2008 Court Battle Continues Over Defense Union's Bargaining Rights 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Jan 8, 2008 General Schedule Increase and Locality Salary Scale 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 January 2008 Annual... AFSCME Council 26 more
Jan 5, 2008 Area Federal Workers Get 4.49% Raise 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Jan 2, 2008 Promises Tracked 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Dec 10, 2007 Compromise On Pentagon Pay System, Union Rights 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Dec 3, 2007 Pay System Causing Turbulence at the FAA 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Nov 28, 2007 President issues plan to limit pay raise to 3 percent next year 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Nov 16, 2007 Senate Committee Joins House in Approving Expanded Telecommuting 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. The bills would encourage agencies to allow eligible... AFSCME Council 26 more
Nov 6, 2007 Clearing the Roadblocks to Telecommuting 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Oct 30, 2007 In Voting Section, Charges of Discrimination Persist 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. One of the most uncomfortable topics, to be sure, will be continuing charges of discrimination in the section that is supposed... AFSCME Council 26 more
Oct 30, 2007 In Voting Section, Charges of Discrimination Persist 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. One of the most uncomfortable topics, to be sure, will be continuing charges of discrimination in the section that is... AFSCME Council 26 more
Oct 22, 2007 Benefits Guide Helps Decode Alphabet Soup The annual open-enrollment season for federal employees is on its way, loaded with insurance industry argot and acronym-laden programs. 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Oct 17, 2007 Save My Home Hotline Set Up for Union Members Many homeowners have adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs)ā€”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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Oct 15, 2007 Contracting Out Update 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: HR 2829 The Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act as passed in... AFSCME Council 26 more...
Oct 12, 2007 A Little Lower 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Sep 21, 2007 Workers Joining AFL-CIO Unions at Highest Rate in Two Generations 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Sep 17, 2007 Defense Begins Transition to Merit-Based Pay 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Sep 7, 2007 Congress approves student loan forgiveness for public servants 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Sep 3, 2007 Labor in Fighting Trim 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Sep 3, 2007 Congress Looks Ready To Approve 3.5% Raise 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Aug 29, 2007 AFL-CIO likely to sit out primary endorsement 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 unionā€™s... AFSCME Council 26 more
Aug 28, 2007 Hurdles ahead for federal pay boost, tax cut 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Aug 28, 2007 Contracting offices face increased oversight 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. Within weeks of... AFSCME Council 26 more
Aug 13, 2007 Appeals court deals blow to unions in Defense personnel case 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Aug 9, 2007 AFL-CIO Decides Not to Endorse for Now... The A.F.L.-C.I.O. ā€™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... New York Times more...
Aug 4, 2007 Administration - Competive Sourcing, R.I.P? 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... John Maggs, National Journal more...
Aug 2, 2007 Child of AFSCME Local 1509 Member Wins Union Scholarship! 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... AFSCME 26 more...
Aug 1, 2007 Outsourcing in the Dark 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Jul 31, 2007 Democratsā€™ Field Creates Pleasant Predicament for Unions 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,... AFSCME Council 26 more
Jul 17, 2007 House members weigh alternate paths to TSA bargaining rights 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Jul 3, 2007 Unions seek full court review of Defense personnel ruling 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
Jun 18, 2007 You Have the Right to Protestā€¦Quietly 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) ā€“ currently being considered in the DC City Council ā€would ban the use... more...
Jun 14, 2007 Union might not endorse before 2008 primaries 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... more...
May 29, 2007 Rebusting the Air Traffic Controllers Union Itā€™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, itā€™s George W. Bush making the conditions even worse. The controllers arenā€™t... TomPaine.com more
May 25, 2007 Senate panel moves to scale back Pentagon personnel system 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... GovExec more
May 22, 2007 Labor Night with the Nats Over 3,000 tickets have already been sold for the Community Services Agencyā€™s ā€Labor Night with the Natsā€¯ on Friday, 7/20. Tickets are still available! Buy 50 or more tickets and your localā€™s name will appear on the scoreboard. For more info, email Kathleen McKirchy, kmckirch@dclabor.org . more...
May 22, 2007 DoD Unions to Appeal Court Ruling Labor Coalition to Appeal Ruling at Defense Steven 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... AFSCME Council 26 more
May 22, 2007 Labor Coalition to Appeal Ruling at Defense Labor Coalition to Appeal Ruling at Defense Steve 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... AFSCME Council 26 more...
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