Rumor has it that union official time cuts may be on the table in sequestration negotiations. Rep. Gingrey (R-GA) has a bill on the floor claiming to do just that, however, it may not.
The current Chair of the Federal Labor Relations Authority is likely to be nominated by the President for another term in that job. The author poses some questions that some senator might ask if there is a confirmation hearing.
Why has Carol Waller Pope disappeared from the FLRA web site? The author offers an explanation.
The Federal Labor Relations Authority’s decision binding Agency Inspectors General to negotiated investigation procedures will apparently make it into the courts. The FLRA decision, if it stands, actually has much broader potential impact than initially apparent. The author asks where the FLRA’s own IG is on such matters.
In cases involving Agency Head Review of a contract provision and an appeal of an arbitrator’s award, the FLRA decided that investigations conducted by Inspectors General are controlled by the procedures existing in an applicable collective bargaining agreement.
Any reading of OPM Chief Berry’s memo to Agency Heads on telework points out the weaknesses of Uncle Sam’s current scheme for consistent policies affecting employees. The author says that Berry doesn’t get that consistency throughout government on a working conditions issue is merely a dream on his part.
An MSPB survey found that 13% of federal employee respondents observed a violent incident in 2010. According to the report, BLS reported a result of 5% relating violent incidents in industry, state and local government asking similar questions. If the survey sample is valid, nearly 300,000 Feds observed violent incidents at work as there are about 2.3 million Federal employees.
Federal unions are trying a tactic to keep otherwise non-negotiable proposals on the bargaining table. In this article, the Author discusses how an Agency might counter such moves.
Robert (Bob) J. Gilson has expertise in all aspects of Federal labor and employee relations. He began his Federal career with the U.S. Civil Service Commission.
Bob has held managerial and advocacy positions with Navy, Army, Treasury and the National Transportation Safety Board. He has served as chief negotiator on numerous labor agreements in the U.S. and abroad. He represented his agencies before the FLRA, FSIP, MSPB, EEOC and arbitrators. Bob had principal responsibility for adverse actions regarding conduct and performance at all levels including Senior Executives.
He has trained literally thousands of Federal negotiators, supervisors and managers and has been doing so for over 38 years. He has been writing for Fedsmith for more than 5 years. The recipient of numerous awards, Bob is a frequently invited speaker at national conferences on labor and employee relations. Bob retired from Federal service in 2001 and is currently a senior associate with GRA Inc. Projects included advising managers on bargaining and other labor relations issues. Bob is working on a new series of books for managers and practitioners.
Bob is the author or co-author of eight books for Federal managers. To see some of his current writings, visit the "Federal Manager’s Toolbox" on FedSmith.com.