Union News Archive

03/12/2008
AWS Form.
03/07/2008
3/7/08: It is time for the United States to catch up with the rest of the world by offering paid parental leave, NTEU National President Colleen Kelley told House members yesterday.
“Wouldn’t it be nice,” said Kelley, “if the federal government—once thought of as pioneering and innovative in its personnel programs—was at the forefront of this growing movement?”
President Kelley offered her strong support for H.R. 3799, the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act, legislation introduced by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) which would provide paid parental leave under the Family and Medical... Read more ...
03/06/2008
3/6/08: If you have questions about telework, or the new expanded telework program, please contact NTEU Chapter 293 Steward Dean Suehiro, at SuehiroD@sec.gov. He can respond to your questions. Dean also has informative materials on telework that are available to members of Chapter 293. Thanks.
03/05/2008
3/5/08: Solemn tribute was paid last night to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers who have given their lives in the line of duty. At the annual Vigil of Lights, NTEU National President Colleen Kelley was joined by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff, CBP Commissioner W. Ralph Basham and U.S. Rep. Chris Carney (D-Pa.).
Each year, NTEU remembers these brave public servants at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in downtown Washington. The candlelight ceremony involved nearly 200 members of NTEU, many of whom are CBP Officers at ports of entry... Read more ...
03/05/2008
3/5/08: NTEU is offering a new BJ's Wholesale Club benefit. BJ’s is a discount wholesale club that offers discounted prices on over 6,500 different products and services. Members must sign up for this benefit by March 31, 2008.
The new BJ’s Wholesale Club/NTEU member only benefit is as follows:
$10 off the annual Membership Fee (for new members or renewals); the fee is normally $45 for Inner Circle® memberships and $80 for Rewards® memberships;
15-month membership (three extra months at no cost);
2nd membership card free for household member (additional cards are $20 each); and
BJ’s... Read more ...
03/05/2008
3/5/08: Federal employees understand issues of government “in a way that only those so close to the epicenter can,” NTEU National President Colleen Kelley told the opening session of the union’s annual legislative conference today.
President Kelley called on the more than 300 NTEU members here for the three-day lobbying program to raise their voices both on Capitol Hill and when they return home in a determined effort to help shape their futures and that of their country.
“We understand that to achieve the promise of America, our agencies must be funded properly, and our jobs must be... Read more ...
02/22/2008
On Tuesday, February 26, Chapter 293 will hold an NTEU member benefits event in the Multipurpose Room – Lower Level, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM. Click here to learn more about this event: Benefits Event.
02/22/2008
President's Perspective, March 2008: In February, during Congressional testimony on federal pay for performance systems, the SEC announced its commitment to temporarily separate its performance management system from its much-maligned merit pay system while the agency works with NTEU on implementation of a new performance management system. To accomplish this separation, for the current rating year, all SEC employees who receive an “acceptable” performance rating under the agency’s current two-level performance management system will receive “equivalent share” pay increases that are equal to... Read more ...
02/15/2008
Click here to obtain a copy of an Alternative Work Schedules Application Form: AWS Form.
02/12/2008
2/12/08: SEC Executive Director Diego Ruiz stated during testimony before a House subcommittee this afternoon that all employees receiving an "acceptable" performance rating will receive an "equivalent share" of the funds the SEC has available for merit pay increases, until the agency's new performance management system has been implemented.
Chapter 293 President Greg Gilman has urged the agency to adopt such an interim approach to merit pay for several months, given the obvious deficiencies that have rendered the SEC's current pay for performance system inherently unfair and unworkable. A... Read more ...
02/12/2008
Help NTEU Chapter 293 deal with implementation issues surrounding 4-10 and 5/4-9 alternative work schedules by taking one minute to fill out a survey on those programs. Click here, Survey on AWS, to take the survey now. Thanks!
02/05/2008
2/5/08: The application deadline for Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund (FEEA) scholarships for the 2008−2009 school year is fast approaching. Applications must be postmarked no later than March 28, 2008.
Federal employees and qualified family members can appy for a FEEA scholarship. Applications are available at www.feea.org.
FEEA scholarships include the $5,000 award under the FEEA-NTEU scholarship program established a year ago. Last year, one of the six FEEA-NTEU scholarships was awarded to a working federal employee, who was also a long-time NTEU member.
02/05/2008
2/5/08: Yesterday, President Bush submitted his budget proposal to Congress, which will now begin the processing of making appropriations for FY 2009. The budget proposes a 2.9 percent pay raise for federal civilian employees. NTEU believes that this pay proposal is insufficient to stop the loss of skilled, experienced and dedicated employees from a wide range of federal agencies in the coming years. The proposed budget would do nothing to close the 23 percent pay gap between federal and private sector workers. Closing that gap with the private sector was the stated goal of the 1990 Federal... Read more ...
02/04/2008
2/4/08: The administration’s proposal for a 2.9 percent pay raise in 2009 for federal civilian employees will accelerate sharply the loss of skilled, experienced and dedicated employees from a wide range of federal agencies in coming years, NTEU National President Colleen Kelley said today. She called for a raise of 3.9 percent next year for both civilian employees and members of the military.
A raise in that amount would reflect the applicable Employment Cost Index (ECI) of 3.4 percent, plus one-half of one percent, which is the formula that has been used in recent years. The ECI is put... Read more ...
02/04/2008
2/4/08: On Wednesday, February 13 from 12:00 to 1:00, Chapter 293 will be presenting a workshop to discuss the 3-day, 4-day and 5-day expanded telework trial program. The workshop be held in the HQ LL Multi-Purpose Room, and will include a discussion of the tools available to assist you when you are teleworking. Attendance is limited to union members. If you are not a member, you may join at the time of the workshop. Please bring your lunch. Refreshments will be served.
02/01/2008
2/1/08: NTEU National President Colleen Kelley this week welcomed a bipartisan letter from key Washington area members of the House of Representatives—led by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.)—to President Bush calling for a continuation of the long tradition of civilian-military parity in federal pay increases. The White House’s 2009 budget blueprint, containing federal pay proposals, will be made public next week.
“Pay parity is not a new concept,” they wrote. “Historically, Congress has expressed strong bipartisan support for parity in pay adjustments between our military and federal... Read more ...
02/01/2008
2/1/08: The firsthand experience of NTEU debunks claims made in a recent Office of Personnel Management (OPM) report that pay-for-performance systems in various federal agencies are a success.
“This report shows a patchwork of pay systems across the government that cannot collectively, or individually, be characterized as successful,” said NTEU National President Colleen M. Kelley, in the wake of the OPM status report on alternative personnel systems in the federal government, including performance-based pay systems.
The report dealt with such systems at a number of NTEU-represented... Read more ...
01/29/2008
1/29/08: The second version of the Defense Authorization bill was sent to the President last week, with revisions made regarding lawsuits involving Iraq. Included in the bill is a new provision that extends from 12 weeks to 26 weeks the amount of leave a family member can take to care for an injured veteran. It also expands the definition of who is eligible for such leave by including “next of kin” or nearest blood relative.
The employing agency may require a certification from the employee. The Office of Personnel Management will probably issue regulations for such a certification in the... Read more ...
01/28/2008
01/28/08: This year, NTEU is commemorating 70 years of working to improve the work lives of federal employees. As part of our celebration, NTEU has launched a new web page with a brief history of our union, a list of our accomplishments, and a photo slideshow highlighting some of the events and faces that have shaped our past. Check out the webpage at NTEU 70th Anniversary.
01/28/2008
1/28/08: The new 4/10 schedule negotiated for you by Chapter 293 went into effect on Saturday. Employees who have at some point in the past worked for at least a year on a 5-4/9 schedule may now submit requests for a 4/10 schedule schedule to their supervisors.
If you experience any difficulty with the new 4/10 schedule, please do not hesitate to contact your Chapter 293 steward to discuss it.
01/24/2008
1/24/08: NTEU has won a victory in its long-standing fight against pay-for-performance plans in the federal sector. Under an agreement reached by NTEU, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has agreed to suspend its highly unpopular pay-for-performance system covering employees in the 2007 cycle. NTEU and FDIC are currently reviewing options for a more transparent, credible and fair pay system.
Like SEC employees, FDIC employees have long voiced their dissatisfaction with the pay-for-performance system. A recent FDIC survey revealed only 12 percent of workers believe the now-... Read more ...
01/18/2008
President's Perspective, January 2008: Given the recent enactment of the 2008 3.5% pay raise, now is good time to consider part of the representation that your union dues make possible every year– NTEU’s tireless lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill to bring you the best pay raises possible. Indeed, in every year but one since 2002, NTEU’s efforts led directly to higher average raises than those that were originally proposed by the administration:
2002: 3.6% increased to 4.6%
2003: 2.6% increased to 4.1%
2004: 2.0% increased to 4.1%
2005: 1.5% increased to 3.5%
2006: 2.3% increased to 3.1%
2007:... Read more ...
01/18/2008
NTEU Military Tribute
NTEU is continuing to recognize and honor members and their family members who are serving in the military. To date, the online tribute, available at www.nteu.org, contains 130 individuals in the armed forces. We encourage you to submit information to NTEU so we can include them or their loved ones in the tribute. Submissions should include service branch, rank, duty station and hometown. Photos are also encouraged. Current listings can be updated. Send submissions, including photos, electronically to NTEU-PR@nteu.org or via mail to NTEU Public Relations, 1750 H Street,... Read more ...
01/18/2008
In December, the Senate voted to approve S. 274, which would expand whistleblower rights for federal employees. The measure, introduced by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), would make it clear that federal employees are protected for any disclosure of waste, fraud or abuse, including on those matters learned about in connection with an employee’s job duties. The bill also would provide for an independent determination about the possibility of retaliation against an employee-whistleblower for protected disclosures, and would suspend for five years the exclusive... Read more ...
01/18/2008
Article 43 of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement contains the details regarding the new Leave Sharing Program that NTEU recently negotiated for SEC employees.
Participating employees will donate a small amount of annual leave each year, and that leave will be available to assist participants who need additional leave to deal with a medical emergency faced by them or a family member. The Open Season for participating in this new program will occur during October of each year.
This month, Chapter 293 and the SEC are required to designate the members of a new Leave Bank Board, comprised of... Read more ...

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