FederalDaily - August 5, 2005

Park Service Attacks Documented

Threats, harassment and attacks against National Park Service (NPS) rangers and U.S. Park Police officers reached a new record in 2004, according to agency records released by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). NPS commissioned law enforcement officers were victims of assaults 111 times in 2004. The 2003 total was 106 assaults and the 2002 total was 98. NPS officers are 12 times more likely to be killed or injured as a result of an assault than FBI agents, according to PEER. “The National Park Service has an astoundingly poor safety record for its officers,” stated Randall Kendrick, executive director for the U.S. Park Rangers Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police. “The day-to-day demands of police work on the U.S. Park Police continue to grow but its resources have not kept pace,” said PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch.

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OSC Pursues Employees’ Termination

The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) has asked the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) to protect the jobs of two federal employees. The union asked MSPB to uphold the April decision of an administrative law judge dismissing complaints brought against the employees by the Office of Special Counsel (OSC). OSC is seeking the removal of the two workers, who were charged with violations of the Hatch Act, which deals with political activity by federal employees. The employees sent political e-mails to friends while they were at work. OSC argued that the use of government e-mail to send messages supporting or opposing political candidates or parties is always impermissible political activity in the workplace or on duty. NTEU is arguing that an exchange of e-mails within a small group of co-workers who were personal friends is the equivalent to a conversation in the workplace.

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NRC Proposes New Fitness-for-Duty Requirements

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing changes to the agency’s fitness-for-duty requirements for workers who have unescorted access to a nuclear power plant’s protected areas. The changes include drug- and alcohol-testing provisions as well as work hour limits to ensure nuclear power plant employees get enough rest. New requirements would include:

• validity tests for urine samples to determine if a specimen has been adulterated, diluted or substituted;
• toughening sanctions for drug test violations;
• codifying work hour limits for some workers of no more than 16 hours in a 24-hour period, 26 hours in a 48-hour period and 72 hours in a week; and
• establishing minimum individual breaks for some workers of at least 10 hours between shifts, a 24-hour break each week and a 48-hour break every two weeks.

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TSP Monthly Returns for G, F, C, S and I Funds

Rates of Return were updated on August 1, 2005.

The monthly G, F, C, S, and I Fund returns represent the actual total rates of return used in the monthly allocation of earnings to participant accounts. The returns are shown after deduction of accrued TSP administrative expenses. The F, C, S, and I Fund returns also reflect the deduction of trading costs and accrued investment management fees. The most current G, F, C, S, and I Fund rates of return are shown above. Returns are updated after the monthly allocation of earnings, usually by the fourth business day of the month.

To learn more about TSP, click here.

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