FederalDaily - November 30, 2005

FAA Wants Negotiator for Union Contract Dispute

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is seeking negotiation assistance from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) to reach a voluntary contract agreement with the air traffic controllers union, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). The FAA has proposed to replace yearly automatic pay increases with annual merit-based pay increases, while the union is requesting a guaranteed annual pay increase of 5.6 percent. The FAA claimed that the union’s proposal would add $5.6 billion to the total payroll over the life of the contract and hinder the agency’s ability to hire new workers. NATCA has pointed out what it views as continued lavish spending by the FAA, including $5 million in management bonuses. The FMCS is an independent agency that performs conflict resolution, bargaining and labor-management cooperation.

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GAO Finds Weakness in HHS IT Management

A report issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Department of Health and Human Services needs to improve its investment management in information technology (IT) to properly administer its multi-billion dollar IT budget. GAO did note that HHS had established practices that supported business needs and user requirements. However, HHS lacked oversight of its component agencies, which handle 90 percent of the department’s discretionary investments. Furthermore, the GAO found that HHS did not review the success of its portfolios on a regular basis or conduct post-implementation reviews. The report recommended that the department ensure that its investment management process address the weaknesses that GAO uncovered.

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Veterans Groups Lose Joint House/Senate Forum

Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, recently ruled to put a halt to joint House and Senate hearings on veteran issues. Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., submitted a letter signed by 53 House Democrats to Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., asking him to overturn the decision. The hearings allowed veterans groups to express their concerns on the budget and legislative priorities with committee members from both sides of Congress. In a press release, Higgins noted that the joint hearings enabled Congress to better address the needs of veterans’ organizations and identify legislative solutions.

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