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OPM's Closely Held Report of Union Official Time Use

Just ask

Manager, Labor Relations Group
OPM
Wed Apr 29, 2009 9:58 AM

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Bob,

All you had to do was ask us for a copy. It isn't on the website yet because we are revamping it and the reports will be added when the new screens are up.

Frank

Thanks for finding report

HR Spec
DoD Agency
Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:02 AM

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The main point that seems to have escaped many of those commenting is that this report would probably never have seen the light of day if Bob Gilson had not searched it out and made it available. The $120 million is vastly understated but at least it scratches the surface.

Many in the media just parrot the press releases. I am pleased to see that someone actually took the time to find the report and make it available. If you don't like what is in it, or don't like the fact that it is available, or don't think the public should even know about it, you are probably just trying to cover up the real cost of unions in government. And, rather than employees deciding whether they are worth spending money on, the government just hands over the money.

In fact, come to think of it, the administration is doing the same thing. Isn't America great? We will all get something for nothing. I wonder who will eventually get stuck with the bill? Perhaps our grandchildren.

Thanks, Bob, for digging this up and not going along with the crowd that usually just caters to those that scream the loudest about being abused--while scarfing up the many benefits available to them.

Official Time

Reformed Conservative
DFAS
Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:14 AM

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It seems to me that the best way to cut the use of official time is for management to honor the labor contract they agreed to. Fewer grievances=less official time used. I was a steward once and working even a cut-and-dried grievance is time-consuming.

Re: Official Time

Emp
Fed Govt
Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:58 AM
The problem with your suggestion is that there is no "validity" test on the submission of a grievance. The union can file, file, file, all day long and managment is obligated to go through the process. It's the same for filing EEO complaints, although I know that's not the subject of this thread. I think it's called job security. The majority of grievances at my Agency are denied at the top step and never taken to arbitration (another waste). That tells me they weren't valid to begin with.

Re: Official Time

Reformed Conservative
DFAS
Wed Apr 29, 2009 12:46 PM
That doesn't necessarily mean they aren't valid. At most agencies, management and the union split the cost of arbitration. I don't know about the other unions, but AFGE, unlike the U.S. Government, cannot print money. Therefore they are very selective about the cases they take to arbitration because they can only afford so many.

When I was a steward, we discouraged the filing of grievances where the management had a strong case and the employee was in the wrong. They waste everybody's time, and we stewards didn't have it to spare.

Re: Official Time

Emp
Fed Govt
Fri May 1, 2009 2:25 PM
Reformed, I appreciate the fact your union does not file frivolous grievances, but unfortunately, that is not common. One of the local Presidents where I work stated he would file a grievance on everything management did, just to make them work. Is that serving the agency well, or the taxpayer, for that matter?

Management funds spent fighting Union's

NFPAAC
Social Security Administration
Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:22 AM

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The agency Labor Relations, CREO, Human Resources spend 100% of their time, in greater number, fighting union's seeking fair and equitable treatment of employees. One union steward against a team of management officials per case. Cut the amount of management personnel and time spent by management on each case against one union official.

OPM's Closely Held Report of Union Official Time U

Consultant
HHS
Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:29 AM

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How do you spell theft? By the end of the Obama Administration the union fat cats will be doing better than there Teamster idols.

fair and balanced

mid term fed
Executive Branch Agency
Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:35 AM

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Do you have the numbers for the time and money spent by Labor and Employee Relations? I'm sure "official time" costs are a fraction of that number. Hopefully, with the current administration, the need to use official time will decrease.

Reporting Official Time

Fiscally Responsible Fed
Somewhere
Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:42 AM

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Some agencies do not code time the way OPM codes official time for union representation so there is a huge fudge factor.

I have been in agencies where managers' time was quite a bit more in total than union's time, so double or triple these figures to come up with how much is spent on labor management relations.

In one agency the union negotiated groundrules over one year, because they COULD. They have gone over 20 years without a new master labor agreement and were impassing everything they could under Bush 43 just so they could get serious when a new administration would be installed--again, because they could. Figures don't say anything about abuse of process

Figures don't reflect where pro-active labor management relations is practiced (as where I am now) resulting in little formal third party procedures because both parties recognize that win-win (collaboration) is better than win-lose (traditional bargaining) or lose-lose (litigating everything).

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