PRESIDENT

January 2008 – Chapter 244 Update – Much has occurred since my last chapter update. On December 17 and 18, I met with most of the other Chapter Presidents at NTEU's headquarters in Washington, DC. We received a briefing on the results of the All-Employee Survey. The two most significant areas of concern documented in the survey results, Pay for Performance and MERIT/Refocus, were taken seriously by Chairman Bair and, after several conversations with NTEU National President Colleen Kelley, have been scuttled. We have an interim solution for PFP and, with all interim solutions, some people are pleased and some people are upset. What's encouraging is that we have a voice in repairing a situation that all knew was damaged from the outset. In negotiating a replacement for PFP, we have opportunities to truly recognize people for the work that they do. Please send me your thoughts on how best this can be accomplished.

Regarding the elimination of MERIT/Refocus, it's likely that risk scoping of some sort will continue. It is our goal that management asks for and listens to the opinions of field personnel in crafting an improved risk scoping process. If you are asked to contribute to the process, please seriously consider this request for assistance. We need for management to hear from those on the front lines and not just those select few who may be too focused on policy and budgets and may not be able to provide relevant information.

During the first week of March, Baltimore Field Office VP Fran Pailen-Watkins and I will be participating in NTEU's Legislative Conference. Fran recently participated in NTEU's Legislative Advisory Committee (LAC), a select group of NTEU legislative leaders that set the legislative priorities for the year. Six issues were selected by the LAC as priorities for the 2008 Legislative Conference, as follows:

Labor Management Partnerships;
Federal pay including continued opposition to Pay-for-Performance;
Adequate agency funding and opposition to privatization of federal jobs;
Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) including opposition to Health Savings Accounts and support for an increase in the level of government contributions under FEHB, a government contribution for dental and vision and an expansion of the Family Medical Leave Act;
Department of Homeland Security issues including repeal of One Face at the Border, support for collective bargaining rights, and abuses of the Career Intern Program; and
Retiree issues including Social Security offsets, Flexible Spending Accounts for retirees and FERS sick leave.

Finally, Boston Area Office Chapter 241 will take responsibility for scheduled the next Labor Management Relations Committee meeting. If you have any items for the agenda, please forward them to me.

As always, please feel free to contact me directly with any questions you may have.

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