FederalDaily - December 21, 2007

NTEU Applauds Measure to Enhance Retirement For CBP Officers

National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) President Colleen Kelley applauded language in the Fiscal Year 2008 omnibus appropriations bill, H.R. 2764, that would provide an enhanced retirement benefit to Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. The Senate adopted the $555 billion omnibus spending package Dec. 18 by a 76 to 17 margin, and the House followed suit, sending the measure to President Bush. The provision, which would take effect in July 2008, would cover about 18,000 CBP officers, Kelley said. Under the legislation, CBP officers hired after July 2008 would have Law Enforcement Officer status immediately. Also, current CBP officers would see no change to their pension calculations or contributions for federal service before July 2008. “Congress has taken a giant step in correcting an inequity that has existed for far too many years,” Kelley said. To see more, go to: www.nteu.org/PressKits/PressRelease/PressRelease.aspx?ID=1194

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Army Announces Stationing Plans

The Army on Dec. 19 announced stationing decisions for new troops to support the service’s growth by up to 74,200 soldiers by 2010. The stationing plans include six infantry brigade combat teams, eight active-component support brigades, and two multifunctional brigades. The Army currently has 42 Active Component brigade combat teams, which will grow to a total of 48 over the next five years. The Army also announced the stationing of approximately 30,000 soldiers in combat support and combat service support units throughout the United States and in various overseas locations. To see more details on the plans, go to: www.army.mil/-newsreleases/2007/12/19/6676-army-announces-stationing-decisions

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Federal Panel Orders ATF to Extend Telework

The Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP) has ordered the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to abide by a May 2006 labor agreement and allow legal instrument examiners to telework. The FSIP decision came at the request of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), which had negotiated a telework program that covers other ATF employees. NTEU wanted to extend telework to instrument examiners, but ATF argued that it was a security risk to allow instrument examiners to take sensitive materials out of the office. However, NTEU noted that ATF already allowed industry operations investigators to telework and take the same material out of the office. The FSIP decision means that ATF is required to adopt NTEU’s telework proposal for examiners under a six-month pilot program, after which either party could propose that the pilot become a permanent telework option, the union said. To see more, go to: www.nteu.org.

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