FederalDaily - December 20, 2006
AFGE: Loss of FPS Retention Pay Will Hamper Security
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) asked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
officials to reconsider a decision to eliminate retention payments for employees at the Federal Protective
Service (FPS). In a letter Dec. 15, AFGE asked ICE Assistant Secretary Julie Myers to reverse the pay
cut, which the union said is being implemented in an agency effort to help make up an estimated shortfall
of between $27 million and $60 million. The retention pay is important to FPS workers and the $3 million
saved is only a drop in the bucket compared to overall shortfall, said AFGE President John Gage. Cutting
employee pay will “further erode FPS’ ability to provide the homeland security protection
its mission requires, as well as the morale of every affected employee and family member,” Gage
said. Elimination of the retention pay amounts to a 10 percent reduction in pay, Gage said. AFGE represents
about two-thirds of FPS employees, who provide security for the federal court system and more than
90 percent of federal buildings in the United States. To see more, go to: www.afge.org/Index.cfm?Page=PressReleases&PressReleaseID=689
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Union Questions Safety of Detroit FAA Facilities
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees union criticized the agency’s response to
a series of hazards—such as mold, asbestos and radiation—which the union said is plaguing
a number of Detroit-area facilities. Professional Airways Systems Specialists (PASS) said on Dec. 18
that the FAA has knowingly failed to address the problems at these facilities and has ignored the conditions
for nearly a decade. PASS represents more than 11,000 FAA employees. PASS said six facilities containing
equipment essential to the control of aircraft in the Detroit area have been repeatedly cited for being
in various states of disrepair. In October, PASS reported leaking radiation at the Detroit Radar facility
(QDT) to the FAA. PASS said it took the FAA two months to acknowledge the problem and that the agency’s
response to the situation has been “abysmal.” “These facilities are literally rotting
away under the feet of the employees who must maintain them,” said Gil Alfaro, a local PASS
representative. The problems are not unique to the Detroit area, PASS said, reporting similar safety
issues at other facilities around the country. To see more, go to:
www.newsmgr.com/publish/article_823.shtml
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Researchers Reject ‘Don’t Ask’ Policy
In an amicus brief filed last week with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the American
Sociological Association (ASA) and five social scientists said there is no evidence supporting the
exclusion of openly gay military personnel from the armed forces. The experts concluded that “the
government is simply incorrect in its assertion that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in
the military would undermine unit cohesion and therefore adversely impact military performance. Such
an assertion is unsupported by the evidence.” The brief was filed in connection with Cook
v. Rumsfeld, a lawsuit filed on behalf of 12 veterans who were dismissed under “Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell.” The plaintiffs appealed to the court following a lower court decision
granting the government’s motion to dismiss the case. The plaintiffs argue that “Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell” violates their rights of due process, equal protection and freedom of
speech. To see more, go to: www.asanet.org
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