FederalDaily - April 3, 2006
Pay Increase through NSPS
Most of the first 11,000 Department of Defense civilian employees to convert to the new civilian personnel system in April will receive a pay increase. About 85 percent of people will see an initial bump in pay when they are enrolled in the new National Security Personnel System (NSPS), said NSPS Spokeswoman Joyce Frank. The first employees to make the switch will convert to the new system April 30. “No one loses pay” as they convert to the new pay-for-performance NSPS, Frank said. Employees in Step 9 or lower of their current GS grades and with acceptable performance will receive credit toward their next scheduled within-grade step increases, Frank explained. The NSPS Web site will offer a conversion tool within the next few days so employees can determine where they will fall in the pay band system in NSPS. The site is: www.cpms.osd.mil/nsps/.
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Bill Proposes More CBP Specialists
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., introduced legislation that would require the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) bureau to hire more import specialists, a move applauded by the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). NTEU President Colleen Kelley said the move would require CBP to increase the number of import specialists by 14 percent. Since fiscal year 2001, the number of such specialists has decreased, from 1,080 to 948, according to the union. Import specialists are in charge of categorizing imports and determining what can enter the country. In related news, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., proposed an amendment to the Safe Ports Act last week, which would have provided for the additional CBP officers, but it was defeated. NTEU said the amendment would have added 1,600 such officers over the next four years.
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City of Washington, D.C., Honors Postal Worker
Delores Killette, a vice president and consumer advocate for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), received a day of recognition from the city of Washington, D.C., for her long tenure of service. Friday March 31st was Delores Killette Day, in honor of 37 years of USPS service, including a stint as the city’s postmaster. While serving as postmaster, Killette restored and chaired the Government Mailers Advisory Council, and managed 2,300 employees. A ceremony at the Curseen-Morris Processing and Distribution Center was attended by Washington, D.C., Mayor Anthony Williams and Postmaster General John Potter.
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OPM Reinforces Commitment to Vets
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) described to Congress how it is maintaining preferences and benefits for veterans, despite OPM’s personnel reform initiatives. Dan G. Blair, deputy director of OPM, told Congress last week, “This administration and OPM are dedicated to ensuring veterans receive all rights and benefits to which they are entitled.” Blair discussed efforts within the Department of Defense’s development of its new personnel system, the National Security Personnel System, including protection for veterans during work force reductions. In addition, OPM said it worked with the Department of Veterans Affairs to streamline veteran’s preference claims for veterans with service-connected disabilities. Of the federal government’s total work force (1.8 million employees), 456,000 are veterans.
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