FederalDaily - October 16, 2007

NTEU’s Kelley to Serve on Safety Council

National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) President Colleen Kelley has been appointed to the Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health (FACOSH), NTEU said on Oct. 15. The organization, founded in 1971, helps promote federal workplace occupational health and safety programs. “I am looking forward to assisting the council in its ongoing efforts to reduce the number of injuries and illnesses in the federal sector,” Kelley said. Kelly pointed in particular to injuries at the Transportation Security Administration, where she said “annual workplace injury and illness rates are estimated to be three to four times higher than those of any other federal agency.” The group’s 16 federal labor and management representatives advise the Secretary of Labor on policies and initiatives to improve occupational safety and health in the federal workplace. To see more, go to: www.nteu.org.

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VA to Deploy OPM Automated Hiring Tool

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will partner with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to deploy an automated hiring tool aimed at improving VA’s recruitment and retention processes. OPM Director Linda Springer on Oct. 12 said VA will use a solution called USA Staffing, an OPM-designed system that already has been adopted by 27 other federal agencies. USA Staffing is an integrated software solution that automates recruitment, assessment, referral and notification processes. A five-year interagency agreement includes provisions for an OPM team to work with VA to deploy the system over the next three years. “Through this significant contract, OPM again is demonstrating its commitment to providing the most cost-effective, optimal system available to federal agencies for getting the best-qualified candidates into the nation’s civilian workforce,” said OPM Director Linda Springer. To see more, go to: www.opm.gov/news/opmhiring-tool-selected-to-assist-va-with-overall-hr-transformation-goals,1330.aspx.

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National Guard Exceeds Annual Recruiting Targets

For the first time since 2004, the Army National Guard has exceeded its annual end strength goal of 350,000, while the Air National Guard just narrowly missed its annual recruiting goal, DoD announced last week. The Army Guard reported its 2007 fiscal year end strength at 352,707, DoD said, and has grown in the last two fiscal years by 19,530 soldiers. Notably, nearly 92 percent of the Army Guard’s non-prior-service recruits have high school diplomas. In addition, DoD said, the Air Guard nearly reached its end strength goal of 107,000 airmen, with a reported strength of 106,254, or 99.3 percent of its goal. It also came close to its retention goal of 9,915 by retaining 9,639 airmen, or 97.2 percent. “It’s the largest growth in the Department of Defense since the draft era,” said Lt. Col. Gregg Bliss, recruiting and sustainment branch chief for the Army Guard. To see more, go to: www.ngb.army.mil/news/archives/2007/10/101207-recruiting.aspx.

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