February 2007: In January, NTEU prevailed on the PLUS Loan Arbitration. In a well reasoned decision dated January 25, 2007, Arbitrator Joseph M. Sharnoff ruled in favor of NTEU on all issues. Click here, PLUS Loan Arbitration Decision, to read the decision.

February 2007: In December, Chapter 293 prevailed in an arbitration contesting the denial of a 20-year Broker/Dealer examiner’s career ladder promotion to SK-14 at the Northeast Regional Office. The examiner has worked at the SEC since 1987 and, despite the fact that all other examiners in B/D hired since 1999 had been promoted to the SK-14 level, the grievant was consistently denied a promotion. At the hearing, NTEU presented a number of examinations that the grievant had worked on which the SEC had cited in its step one grievance response as being indicative of SK-14 work.

February 2007: On January 29, Chapter 293 held a member representational meeting at the Headquarters auditorium which was broadcast to all of the regional and district offices in the SEC. The purpose of this meeting was to provide updates on the status of the ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations and compensation issues.

February 2007: The effects of the dramatic elections in November will slowly seep through Capitol Hill and into the lives of the American people over the next two years. How these changes will affect NTEU’s representation of our membership on legislative matters is impossible to predict. We urge you to stay informed and know where your representatives stand on issues that are important to you, and we urge you to tell your representatives what is important to you and why.

February 2007: On Thursday, December 14, NTEU Legislative Representative Kurt Vorndran spoke to Chapter 293 members at the Boston District Office about NTEU’s legislative initiatives, the new Congress and other issues of interest. Paul Snyder, the NTEU Board Member for SEC, FDIC and other FIRREA agencies, Field Representative Ralph Talarico, and Chapter 293 President Greg Gilman also spoke at this well-attended event. Mr.

February 2007: The NTEU Legislative Advisory Committee (LAC) met in Washington on Monday, January 8, 2007. NTEU legislative leaders from chapters and agencies across the country met to discuss new committee assignments on Capital Hill and NTEU’s legislative program, and to plan the 2007 National Legislative Conference.

February 2007: This summer NTEU began offering Chapter 293 members several supplemental insurance products through Colonial Life, including short-term disability insurance, accident insurance, cancer insurance and universal life insurance. In December, NTEU settled a grievance resolving the issue of whether Colonial Life representatives may give group presentations at SEC offices to employees regarding these great benefits.

Colonial Life has made presentations at Headquarters and the Denver Office. A number of members have taken advantage of these benefits.

February 2007: The SEC has taken the position that, if an employee who has participated in the Student Loan Repayment Program leaves the agency prior to fulfilling his or her service agreement commitment, all disbursements under the program must be repaid, even if some of them occurred more than three years prior to the employee’s departure. NTEU disagrees with this interpretation, and maintains that it constitutes a change in the SEC’s procedures and practices in violation of its past practice, its policies, Article 25 of the CBA, 5 U.S.C.

February 2007: According to NTEU President Colleen Kelley, the White House’s recent proposal for a three percent pay raise for federal workers in 2008 is yet another disappointing reflection of the administration’s disregard for federal employees and their contributions to our nation. That is especially true coming, as it does, on the heels of the 2007 pay raise, which was the lowest in 20 years.

February 2007:

As previously reported on www.secunion.org, the Federal Service Impasses Panel (“FSIP”) entered an order in October regarding employee compensation issues at the SEC. That order requires, among other things, that future merit pay increases at the SEC must be tied to employee ratings under a new five-level performance evaluation system, which will be redesigned based upon the recommendations of a joint labor-management committee formed for that purpose. The joint committee’s work will be moving forward in the coming weeks, and its recommendations will likely have a substantial impact upon the efficacy of the performance-based pay system at the agency.