December Term Negotiations Update

12/12/2006

12/12/06: On December 5 and 6, the term negotiations between NTEU and the SEC continued in Washington D.C. These negotiations marked the eighth set of bargaining sessions since May regarding changes to the Collective Bargaining Agreement. During these sessions, the parties exchanged proposals and discussed the following issues, among others:

Article 6 (Mid-Term Bargaining): Continued discussion of the union's proposal to require management to provide a briefing to the union whenever a change is proposed by management, prior to the union being required to submit written proposals.

Article 7 (Work Schedules): Negotiations continued regarding the creation of a new 4/10 work schedule, whether to permit employees to earn credit hours while participating on a 5/4/9 work schedule, and expansion of core hours.

Article 11 (Telework): Chapter 293 negotiators reviewed with management their proposals to expand the telework program.

Article 14 (Employee Recognition Program): Seeking to increase the transparency of the awards program by requiring an annual report with data on the total number and amount of all awards paid.

Article 18 (Details): Seeking to prevent management from commencing and ending details for the purpose of avoiding temporary promotions to higher graded positions.

Article 26 (Attire): Continuing to oppose management's efforts to impose a more restrictive dress code.

Article 28 (Sick Leave): Negotiations regarding the documentation that may be required for sick leave.

Article 29 (Family Leave): Making changes to more accurately reflect the governing regulations regarding family leave.

Article 32 (Grievance Procedure): Opposing management's efforts to make the amount of an employee's merit pay increase ungrievable.

Article 39 (Union Representation and Official Time): Negotiating whether to add an additional 50% time Union employee, and whether to reduce the total bank hours available to Stewards for representational issues.

The parties also tentatively agreed to amendments to Article 8 (Part-Time Employment) and Article 24 (Childcare Subsidies). In Article 24, the maximum family income for receiving childcare subsidies was increased to $60,001, and the family income amounts for various participation rates were also increased. New language was inserted into Article 8 requiring at least four weeks notice before the agency can require a full-time employee who has been permitted to work a part-time schedule to return to a full-time schedule.

Chapter 293's Term Contract Bargaining Team consists of NTEU Chief Negotiator Kevin Fagan and Chapter 293 members Greg Gilman, Veronica Lewis, Katie Nix, Dean Suehiro and Simmenetta Williams. If you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding the ongoing CBA negotiations, please contact Kevin Fagan or Greg Gilman.