Summer 2008:

More than half of the corporations in the U.S. currently provide some form of paid parental leave benefit to their employees. Perhaps it is for that reason that people are often surprised to learn that federal employees receive no paid time off to care for their newborn infants or recently adopted children. Instead, they are only permitted to take unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) of 1993, and then use sick leave or annual leave, if available, to continue to be paid while they are out of the office. It is time to provide a paid parental leave benefit to federal employees.

Chief Steward Katie NixSummer 2008: Katie Nix is our Chief Steward, and as such, she works with all of the Chapter 293 Stewards scattered around the country. Katie has been a union activist since we first began the drive to unionize in late 1998, and before becoming Chief Steward, she served as a member of the Chapter bargaining team that negotiated our current Collective Bargaining Agreement. Many of you know Katie as a union official, but that is only one small part of her longstanding commitment to making the Commission a better workplace.

Katie began working as an examiner in the Division of Corporation Finance in early 1970. When she came to the agency, her mother, Kathleen Chiera (old timers will remember her as “Kay”), had already been working in Corp. Fin. since 1966—and would continue to do so until 1986. In Katie’s own words, her mother “loved working here and so do I.” Katie has held a number of positions in Corp. Fin. over the past 38 years, including Branch Chief. Currently she works in the Information Technology group.

Summer 2008: At the end of July, NTEU National President Colleen Kelley welcomed overdue action by the General Services Administration (GSA) to raise the mileage reimbursement rate to 58.5 cents per mile for federal employees using their personal vehicles on government business. At the same time, she expressed her clear disappointment that the increase is not retroactive to July 1, as NTEU had urged, and stated that the IRS rate should be even higher. GSA raised the rate effective Aug. 1.

Summer 2008: NTEU has had great success in including the 3.9 percent pay raise in major legislative vehicles moving forward in both Houses of Congress. This is one of the union’s top legislative priorities for the year.

The military and civilian pay increase has historically been determined by using the Employment Cost Index (ECI), currently at 3.4 percent, plus an additional one-half percent. The 3.9 percent amount is in keeping with this precedent and moves a step forward to closing the unjust pay gaps both sectors face with comparable jobs in the private sector.

Summer 2008: Just before the August recess, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1108 (326 yeas – 102 nays), a bill to grant the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products. With NTEU’s support, the bill included an Oversight Committee amendment providing credit to federal employees covered under the FERS system to count unused sick leave towards their retirement pension calculation. Under the bipartisan agreement, FERS-covered employees will receive credit for 75 percent of their unused sick leave for three years after the bill becomes law.

Summer 2008: A Chapter meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 17, 2008, at 1:00 EST at the Headquarters LL Auditorium, videoconferenced to the Regional Offices. At the meeting, updates will be provided on topics of interest, and members will vote on a proposed amendment to the Chapter 293 Bylaws recommended by the Executive Board. Members may vote on the Bylaws amendment by delivering a ballot at the September 17, 2008 meeting to a member who has been assigned to collect ballots.

Summer 2008: To dispel negative stereotypes and increase awareness of the important contributions federal employees make to the country, NTEU has launched its first-ever public service campaign including television and radio public service announcements, media relations and grassroots efforts. The campaign, entitled “Federal Employees...They Work For U.S.,” features actual federal workers talking about the work that they do to defend our homeland, protect our borders, ensure the safety of our natural resources, health, food supply, financial systems and more.

Many Americans are not aware of the depth and breadth of the federal workforce and the vital contributions federal employees make to nearly every aspect of our lives. About 60% of the federal workforce will be eligible to retire in the next 10 years, according to OPM reports. “We need to ensure that federal service continues to attract and retain topnotch professionals from every major field and that starts by giving federal employees the tools and resources they need to do their jobs and, equally important, our respect and support,” said NTEU National President Colleen Kelley.

Chapter 293 President Greg Gilman presents a Chapter Leadership Award to FWRO Steward John Popham for attaining majority union membership in Fort WorthSummer 2008: Chapter 293 recently presented Chapter Leadership awards to a number of NTEU union stewards and Executive Board representatives, recognizing their leadership in reaching majority union membership at their SEC offices across the country.

“These chapter leaders should be lauded for their service to their fellow employees at the SEC,” Chapter 293 President Greg Gilman recently stated. “That service has been recognized and supported by the employees in their offices, and they are the reason that Chapter 293 has been at the forefront of membership growth in the National Treasury Employees Union this year. Without individuals like these, who go beyond paying dues to support Chapter 293 by volunteering their time and efforts, we would not be a successful organization.”

Among those who received the awards were: Atlanta Regional Office leaders Barry Lakas and Carole Solloway; Boston Regional Office leaders Dan Barry, James Fay and Paul Prata; Denver Regional Officeleaders Linda Beyer and Liz Krupa; Fort Worth Regional Office leaders Will Fergus and John Popham; Los Angeles Regional Office leaders Kathy Cash, Sue Hannan and Karen Matteson; Miami Regional Office leaders Drew Panahi and Terry Tennant; Philadelphia Regional Office leaders Brian Carroll, Paul Lapinski and Patricia Trujillo; and Office of Investor Education and Assistance leader April Keyes.

Summer 2008: In July, Chapter 293 President Greg Gilman visited the San Francisco Regional Office. While there, he made a luncheon presentation updating the members about a number of issues. He also met with chapter leaders, employees and senior managers to discuss pending issues and matters. Thanks to SFRO members Cate Whiting, Adrienne Miller, Jeff Lyttle and Kian Tabrizi for organizing this event.

Summer 2008: The SEC’s original budget proposal for FY 2009 included only a 1.5% increase for its merit pay budget. However, NTEU’s lobbying efforts this summer to increase that merit pay budget have been paying dividends.