Union faults SSA H1N1 prevention efforts
November 6th, 2009 | Agencies Social Security Administration Unions | Posted by Rebecca Neal
The Social Security Administration isn’t taking swine flu precautions seriously and risks exposing employees and their families to the virus, the American Federation of Government Employees says.
In a Nov. 4 letter to SSA Commissioner Michael Astrue, AFGE Council 220 President Witold Skwierczynski said an SSA negotiator told Council 220 members in October that swine flu “is not a serious communicable disease.”
Skwierczynski also said the negotiator and other SSA managers have threatened employees with disciplinary action should they decline to do face-to-face interviews with people who appear to be ill.
The negotiator said anyone who appears to be sick could be taken to to a private room and an SSA employee could telephone the room to interview the client regarding benefits, Skwierczynski said. The union leader called on SSA to change its policies to meet Health and Human Services Department guidelines for swine flu prevention.
“We regret that Mr. Skwierczynski continues to fabricate reports for media attention on this important public health issue,” said SSA spokesman Mark Hinkle. “Our policies meet or exceed everything Health and Human Services is recommending.”
John Gage wins third term as AFGE president
August 28th, 2009 | Unions | Posted by Steve Losey
The American Federation of Government Employees yesterday re-elected John Gage to a third three-year term as national president.
“There is much to do on behalf of federal workers,” Gage told delegates to AFGE’s national convention in Reno after he was sworn in Aug. 27. “Our focus is now on the midterm congressional elections and making sure the American people have the public services they deserve. We plan to help elect a Congress with men and women who are actually responsive to the needs of the American people, particularly the nation’s working families.”
Delegates also re-elected J. David Cox as national secretary-treasurer, and chose Augusta Thomas to be their new national vice president for women’s and fair practices department. Andrea Brooks, AFGE’s former national vice president, passed away on April 26.
Acting FLRA chairwoman named
February 20th, 2009 | Unions | Posted by Steve Losey
President Barack Obama on Feb. 19 selected Carol Waller Pope to be the acting chairwoman of the Federal Labor Relations Authority. Pope has been an FLRAÂ member since 2000.
In a statement released today, Pope thanked Obama for the appointment and pledged to fulfill FLRA’s mission of setting labor-management policy and settling disputes between unions and agencies:
I believe that the work of the FLRA is important and that its mission to establish and implement policies and guidance that enhance the stability of labor-management relations in the federal government is critical to furthering the public interest in effective operations throughout the government.
Tags: FLRA, labor-management relations, Unions
Bush strips collective bargaining rights from ATF
December 2nd, 2008 | Unions | Posted by Steve Losey
In a late-term executive order that has a major union crying foul, President Bush has excluded about 1,500 employees of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from collective bargaining.
In the Dec. 1 order, Bush listed 37 agencies or offices, including ATF, that “have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative or national security work.” National security requirements mean employees at those agencies cannot have collective bargaining rights, Bush said.
The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents ATF employees, called the order outrageous and unjustified, and promised to work to overturn Bush’s move. NTEU President Colleen Kelley said there is no reason to exclude ATF from collective bargaining units for national security reasons:
NTEU represents a number of employees involved with law enforcement and homeland security. In more than 30 years, collective bargaining has never interfered with agency missions, and in fact has created strong, professional and stable work forces.
Bush’s order would also exclude employees at the Tax and Trade Bureau’s Trade Analysis and Enforcement Division, which NTEU also represents, from collective bargaining.
The Bush administration’s relationship with unions has been contentious at best, as I described in one of this week’s cover stories. Yesterday’s order shows that conflict is likely to continue until Bush’s last day in office.
And it’s unclear what the long-term effect of this order will be. President-elect Barack Obama is a strong supporter of union rights for federal employees, and has pledged to expand collective bargaining to agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration. Obama could overturn Bush’s order when he takes office.
Tags: NTEU, Unions, White House