Union News Archive
12/05/2017
Last week, bills were introduced in the House and Senate to cut the pay and benefits by as much as one-third of NTEU-represented employees working at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) by moving them to the General Schedule (GS) pay system. NTEU had previously voiced our objection to this legislation when it was introduced in the House of Representatives in prior sessions of Congress and remains opposed. This bill would significantly harm CFBP’s ability to hire and retain knowledgeable and experienced professionals. No other financial regulatory agency is under the GS schedule. ... Read more ...
11/08/2017
Federal employees will soon have more flexibility to manage their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) accounts under legislation that has passed both houses of Congress with strong bipartisan support and now awaits the president’s signature.
“Passage of this legislation is a victory for NTEU members and all federal employees and retirees,” said Tony Reardon, National President of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU).
The TSP Modernization Act, endorsed by NTEU, was approved by the House in October and unanimously passed the Senate this week. It is a noncontroversial and common-sense proposal to... Read more ...
“Passage of this legislation is a victory for NTEU members and all federal employees and retirees,” said Tony Reardon, National President of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU).
The TSP Modernization Act, endorsed by NTEU, was approved by the House in October and unanimously passed the Senate this week. It is a noncontroversial and common-sense proposal to... Read more ...
10/26/2017
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has received notice from the IRS that the annual employee pretax contributions allowed under Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts (HCFSA) and Limited Expense Health Flexible Spending Accounts (LEXFSA) will increase from $2,600 to $2,650. The increases for HCFSAs and LEXFSAs are effective for plans beginning on or after January 1, 2018. The annual maximum for Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts has not been increased. It will remain at $5,000.
Please note that OPM indicates that the educational materials and the brochure language for the... Read more ...
Please note that OPM indicates that the educational materials and the brochure language for the... Read more ...
10/26/2017
Today, the House of Representatives passed the Senate’s version of the Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Resolution, H. Con. Res. 71, by a vote of 216 to 212. Unlike the initial House-passed version, the Senate-passed budget resolution does not contain instructions for the committee with jurisdiction over the federal workforce to cut federal employee retirement benefits. This means that the final FY18 Budget Resolution does not include the required $32 billion in cuts to federal employee retirement benefits that initially passed the House. Congressional leadership hopes to use this budget resolution... Read more ...
10/19/2017
According to the recently published 2017 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) results, the SEC has continued its impressive upward progress in the FEVS rankings. This progress over the past few years is directly attributable to a large scale, multi-year, joint labor-management initiative at the agency specifically designed to improve the agency’s previously poor showing in the FEVS. Over the past several years, literally hundreds of managers and frontline staff union representatives have teamed up in each office and division at the SEC, collaborating together to improve employee... Read more ...
10/06/2017
Yesterday, the union reported about the attacks on federal employee retirement. The budget is accompanied by a report that also contains additional policy options regarding proposed reductions in spending, including changes and cuts for the federal workforce, as well as for employees at FIRREA agencies. Referred to as “illustrative policy options,” these proposals merely serve as recommended changes, and do not on their own amend law.
These recommended policy options to the House Financial Services Committee include putting all employees at FIRREA agencies under the GS pay system. This... Read more ...
These recommended policy options to the House Financial Services Committee include putting all employees at FIRREA agencies under the GS pay system. This... Read more ...
10/05/2017
Yesterday, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) briefed NTEU on the premium rate increases in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) for 2018 that covers approximately 8.3 million federal employees, retirees, and eligible family members. In plan year 2018, the FEHBP will consist of 262 health plans government-wide. Overall, premium increases for FEHBP plans in 2018 will average 4%; 3.2 % for the government and 6.1% for enrollees. Rate increases for the 1.9 million participants in the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program will be 1.26% for dental... Read more ...
10/05/2017
Today, the House passed a Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget resolution (H. Con. Res. 71) by a vote of 219-206 that directs the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to produce at least $32 billion in cuts. This committee primarily has jurisdiction over federal employee benefit programs, which is where these cuts would need to come from, translating into federal employee benefit reductions. While separate legislation would be required to make actual changes to these benefit programs, the budget recommends to lawmakers to substantially increase FERS employee contributions (an approximate 6%... Read more ...
09/28/2017
WHEN: On Tuesday, October 17, 2017, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Eastern, NTEU Chapter 293 will hold its annual member meeting. Union members in Washington, D.C., may want to arrive between 11:30 AM and 12:00 PM to ensure that their names are checked prior to 12:00 PM. After the meeting, we will serve a barbecue lunch to all members in the Multipurpose Room in Headquarters.
NONMEMBERS: 70% of bargaining unit (non-management) employees at the SEC are members of the union. Any bargaining unit employee who is not yet a member of the union who would like to attend the meeting and luncheon may join... Read more ...
NONMEMBERS: 70% of bargaining unit (non-management) employees at the SEC are members of the union. Any bargaining unit employee who is not yet a member of the union who would like to attend the meeting and luncheon may join... Read more ...
08/29/2017
As Hurricane Harvey continues to threaten parts of Texas and Louisiana, NTEU’s thoughts are with the thousands of NTEU members in the storm's devastating path.
When crisis hits, federal employees are often the first responders, and NTEU is working on multiple fronts to help those impacted by the hurricane’s powerful winds and flooding.
NTEU is in close contact with our chapters in the affected areas and is working with agencies to ensure all employees are accounted for. We stand ready to deal with any workplace issues employees may encounter as a result of the storm, including administrative... Read more ...
When crisis hits, federal employees are often the first responders, and NTEU is working on multiple fronts to help those impacted by the hurricane’s powerful winds and flooding.
NTEU is in close contact with our chapters in the affected areas and is working with agencies to ensure all employees are accounted for. We stand ready to deal with any workplace issues employees may encounter as a result of the storm, including administrative... Read more ...
07/25/2017
Representative Rokita (IN), along with Representatives Brat (VA), Loudermilk (GA), and Smith (MO), have introduced legislation, the Promote Accountability and Government Efficiency Act (H.R. 3257), that would make radical changes to the rights and protections of federal workers.
To start, the bill would make any employee hired on or after one year after the bill’s enactment an at-will employee that may be removed or suspended without notice or a right to appeal for “good cause, bad cause, or no cause at all.” However, certain legal protections remain, including laws protecting employees from... Read more ...
To start, the bill would make any employee hired on or after one year after the bill’s enactment an at-will employee that may be removed or suspended without notice or a right to appeal for “good cause, bad cause, or no cause at all.” However, certain legal protections remain, including laws protecting employees from... Read more ...
07/19/2017
Rep. Diane Black, chair of the House Budget Committee, has released a proposed budget plan for Fiscal Year 2018. As of the posting of this report, the House Budget Committee is scheduled to consider and vote on the plan today. Several Republican members have shared concerns with the budget plan in advance of committee consideration, and it is not known at this time whether or not there will be enough support from legislators for the budget to be voted on, and to pass on the House floor.
The proposed blueprint is for a budget resolution for FY 2018, and it outlines general spending... Read more ...
The proposed blueprint is for a budget resolution for FY 2018, and it outlines general spending... Read more ...
07/18/2017
Late last week, the House Appropriations Committee approved its FY 2018 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill. The bill would make a $3 million reduction in funding for the Securities and Exchange Commission. NTEU strongly opposes this cut. Though modest, SEC is in great need of additional resources to fulfill its important mission of protecting the American investor.
Also troubling is that the bill includes many of the provisions of HR 10, the “CHOICE Act,” that would place the banking regulatory agencies (FDIC, OCC, NCUA and CFPB) under the appropriations process,... Read more ...
Also troubling is that the bill includes many of the provisions of HR 10, the “CHOICE Act,” that would place the banking regulatory agencies (FDIC, OCC, NCUA and CFPB) under the appropriations process,... Read more ...
07/18/2017
The House Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill has been approved by the House Appropriations Committee. Historically, this is the measure that carries the General Schedule for federal employee pay raise.
As in the past four years, the bill did not include specific language on the January 2018 across-the-board pay increase, which would allow the President’s 1.9% proposed raise to go into effect in January unless further Congressional action is taken to increase or decrease the proposed raise. The FSGG appropriations bill must still be approved by the full House... Read more ...
As in the past four years, the bill did not include specific language on the January 2018 across-the-board pay increase, which would allow the President’s 1.9% proposed raise to go into effect in January unless further Congressional action is taken to increase or decrease the proposed raise. The FSGG appropriations bill must still be approved by the full House... Read more ...
06/28/2017
Last week, nine House Republicans wrote to Speaker Paul Ryan and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to express concerns regarding proposals singling out federal employees for cuts in pay and retirement in the administration’s FY 2018 budget. Citing various cuts already imposed on federal employees in the name of deficit reduction in recent years, these members have asked their leaders to consider the sacrifices federal employees have made in previous years, and cited that it would be unfair to change the rules again for this workforce. As they wrote, “Our strongest objection is how the proposals... Read more ...
06/08/2017
NTEU Chapter 293 President Greg Gilman recently greeted new SEC Chairman Jay Clayton at SEC Headquarters in Washington, D.C. During their meeting, they discussed a wide array of issues related to the SEC’s culture and workforce, including compensation, work-life programs, and improving morale as reflected in the agency’s steadily improving scores in the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. Mr. Gilman said “We look forward to partnering with Chairman Clayton in ensuring that the SEC continues to maintain the type of workplace that is conducive to retaining and recruiting the workforce we need... Read more ...
05/23/2017
The President’s proposed budget to Congress for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 has been officially released. As a reminder, an administration’s budget request serves as a spending blueprint and guide to Congress, and additional legislation is needed to enact any of the substance carried in subsequent congressional budgets. This proposed budget relies on overhauling an existing deficit reduction law, enacted in 2011, that established overall budget caps for both defense and nondefense discretionary spending. Non-defense discretionary spending, which is already at historic lows, would be further... Read more ...
05/22/2017
Last week, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a hearing entitled, “Federal Employee Compensation: An Update,” to examine a recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report that found that certain federal employees earned more, on average, in the federal government than in the private sector.
An invited witness from the Heritage Foundation cited flaws in the CBO report for not taking into account federal employee benefits such as child care subsidies, transportation subsidies, student loan repayment and forgiveness programs, retiree health care, flexible work schedules,... Read more ...
An invited witness from the Heritage Foundation cited flaws in the CBO report for not taking into account federal employee benefits such as child care subsidies, transportation subsidies, student loan repayment and forgiveness programs, retiree health care, flexible work schedules,... Read more ...
04/12/2017
On April 12, 2017, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued agency guidance on how to fulfill the requirements of both the January 23, 2017 Presidential Memorandum imposing a hiring freeze and the March 13, 2017 Executive Order directing OMB to submit a comprehensive plan to reorganize federal agencies while aligning those initiatives with the President’s March 16, 2017 Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Budget Blueprint. This guidance requires all agencies to:
Begin taking immediate actions to achieve near-term workforce reductions and cost savings, including planning for funding levels in the... Read more ...
Begin taking immediate actions to achieve near-term workforce reductions and cost savings, including planning for funding levels in the... Read more ...
04/07/2017
The National Treasury Employees Union supports legislation introduced this week that would ensure federal employees are paid during a government shutdown. Sen. Ben Cardin (Md.), joined by 16 other senators, introduced the Federal Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2017 (S. 861) in the event that Congress is unable to reach an agreement before the current government funding measure expires on April 28.
“We are hopeful that Congress can avoid a disruption in government services,” said NTEU National President Tony Reardon. “But just in case, it is good to know that Sen. Cardin and his colleagues are... Read more ...
“We are hopeful that Congress can avoid a disruption in government services,” said NTEU National President Tony Reardon. “But just in case, it is good to know that Sen. Cardin and his colleagues are... Read more ...
04/06/2017
The SEC’s Director of the Office of Human Resources (OHR), Lacey Dingman, will testify this morning before the House Governmental Reform Committee’s Subcommittee on Government Operations. The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) will be submitting written testimony to the subcommittee. The purpose of the hearing is to review trends in employee engagement as reported in the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government annual rankings. Due directly to successful labor-management collaboration in recent years, in the most recent Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), the SEC saw... Read more ...
04/06/2017
The IRS announcement this week that Americans with overdue federal tax bills will start getting calls from private debt collectors is an unwelcome development that will waste taxpayer money and further endanger taxpayers who are already targeted by financial scams and identity thieves.
The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) has long opposed the use of private collection agencies (PCAs) to chase delinquent taxpayers because it has proven to be inefficient, unfair to lower-income taxpayers, and it opens doors for fraud and abuse.
“Every time this has been tried before, it has failed,”... Read more ...
The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) has long opposed the use of private collection agencies (PCAs) to chase delinquent taxpayers because it has proven to be inefficient, unfair to lower-income taxpayers, and it opens doors for fraud and abuse.
“Every time this has been tried before, it has failed,”... Read more ...
04/06/2017
Last week, President Donald Trump issued this Presidential Memorandum establishing the White House Office of American Innovation (OAI). Headed by Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor and son in law to the President, and consisting of several other senior White House staff, the OAI’s mission is to make recommendations to the President on policies and plans that improve government operations and services, improve the quality of life for Americans, and spur private sector job creation. It is responsible for launching initiatives with a focus on innovation, coordinating implementation of any resulting... Read more ...
04/06/2017
This week the SEC is celebrating SEC Telework Week to recognize the success of the telework program negotiated by the union for SEC employees. Under Collective Bargaining Agreement Article 11, employees may telework up to five days per week, affording them greater flexibility to balance their work and personal lives. The agency's celebration of the union's telework program presents an important opportunity to review the history of this benefit. Employees should remember that programs like telework exist at the agency solely due to the hard fought efforts of the union in the face of consistent... Read more ...
02/07/2017
Legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Barry Loudermilk (GA) that would upend the current adverse action procedures under title 5 United States Code for employee removals. H.R. 559, titled the Modern Employment Reform, Improvement, and Transformation Act of 2017, or so-called “MERIT Act,” was introduced with several original cosponsors: Congressmen Austin Scott (GA), Grothman (WI), Barr (KY), Messer (IN), Babin (TX), Arrington (TX), and Bishop (MI).
Under the bill, agency heads would be able to propose removal of an employee based on performance or... Read more ...
Under the bill, agency heads would be able to propose removal of an employee based on performance or... Read more ...