FederalDaily - November 18, 2005
NSPS Postponed Until Feb. 2006
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) announced the negotiation
of an agreement with officials of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to delay
implementation of new Department of Defense (DoD) personnel rules—the
National Security Personnel System—until February 2006. DOJ officials,
who represent DoD in legal negotiations and proceedings with the unions over
NSPS, finalized the agreement with AFGE on Nov. 15. AFGE signed the agreement
with the consent of the United Department of Defense Workers Coalition (UDWC),
an organization of labor unions representing civilian defense workers. Under
the agreement, AFGE and DOJ will jointly petition District Court Judge Emmet
G. Sullivan to hear arguments on the merits some time during the week of Jan,
9, 2006. In return, DoD will refrain from implementing major portions
of the new rules until Feb. 1, 2006.
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OPM Outlines Retirement Education
On Nov. 15 the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued the Retirement
Financial Literacy and Education Strategy Report to Congress—a report
on how OPM will educate federal employees on preparing for retirement. The
Thrift Savings Plan Open Elections Act of 2004requires OPM
to develop and implement a retirement financial literacy and education strategy
for federal employees. OPM has to educate federal employees on the need for
retirement savings and investment, and must provide information on how to plan
for retirement and how to calculate the retirement investment needed to meet
their retirement goals. OPM said most of its initiatives will begin in 2006.
To read the full report, go to www.opm.gov.
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NATCA Says FAA Suffers Controller Shortage
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is facing a staffing shortage that
is forcing fewer controllers to guide more planes, according to National Air
Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President John Carr. Carr testified
before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation
on Nov. 17. He said following an air traffic controllers’ strike in 1981,
a new group of controllers was hired—and they are now approaching retirement. “Today,
there are 1,000 fewer controllers than there were two years ago,” Carr
stated. “The FAA hired only 13 new controllers in all of FY 2004 and
saw another net loss of controllers in FY 2005.”
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Wolf Decries Foot-dragging on Telework
In a House Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce and Agency Organization hearing
on Nov. 16 discussing the impact of high gas prices on the American work force,
Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., testified on the benefits of teleworking. “As
the nation’s largest employer, the federal government should be the model
for telework,” Wolf said. He added that he has been “disappointed
at the federal government’s efforts” in implementing a proposal
he introduced—which became law—that mandated all federal agencies
to allow every eligible employee who wants to telework to do so. “Just
last week I was contacted by several constituents with the Bureau of Prisons
and the Farm Service Agency who are being denied their right to telework. This
kind of attitude by federal agencies must end,” Wolf said.
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