Federal Daily - February 10, 2009
Obama Order Boosts Union Work on Large Federal Projects
The Obama administration on Feb. 6 issued an executive order promoting the use of union labor for large-scale federal construction projects—those worth $25 million or more. The order restores a Clinton administration rule that had been rescinded by President George W. Bush—and comes on the heels of three others signed so far by President Obama that are directly helpful to unions and their members. The order mandates that federal agencies should have construction contractors enter project labor agreements. These are defined in the order as “pre-hire collective bargaining agreements” with labor organizations that establish the terms and conditions of employment for a specific construction project. “It is the policy of the federal government to encourage executive agencies to consider requiring the use of project labor agreements in connection with large-scale construction projects in order to promote economy and efficiency in federal procurement,” the order said. Such agreements would compel the federal government to engage contractors that negotiate with union officials, recognize union wages and benefits and abide by collective bargaining agreements. The order also requires that the Labor Department and the Office of Management and Budget present recommendations within six months about whether the rule should be more broadly applied. To see more, go to: www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/EXECUTIVEORDERUSEOF
PROJECTLABORAGREEMENTSFORFEDERALCONSTRUCTIONPROJECTS/
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NTEU Urges IRS To Stop Using Contractors
The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) urged the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to immediately suspend its use of private tax collectors, rather than wait for results from an internal review that could take months to complete. The program, implemented by the Bush administration, has been a dismal failure—generating taxpayer complaints and running up costs, NTEU President Colleen Kelley said in a Feb. 4 statement. IRS commissioners have testified in Congress that IRS employees can collect far more money than private tax collectors at a lower cost. Thus far, Kelley said last month, the IRS has spent about $80 million on the program, but has gotten back only $60 million in net revenue after paying private companies $13 million in commissions. And, Kelley pointed out, the program unfairly targets the most disadvantaged. The median income of taxpayers whose cases are being assigned to the private collectors is significantly less than the median income of taxpayers whose cases are assigned to IRS collection personnel, according to the National Taxpayer Advocate. “This is especially troubling because the private tax collection program targets the most vulnerable taxpayers on Main Street,” said Kelley. “Not only are vulnerable taxpayers being turned over to the private tax collectors but once in the program, the tax collection firms cannot offer these struggling Americans IRS programs designed to assist delinquent taxpayers facing financial difficulties.” Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., on Feb. 3 introduced a House measure that would—if it becomes law—abolish IRS authority to use private contractors to collect federal taxes. To see more, go to: www.nteu.org/PressKits/PressRelease/PressRelease.aspx?ID=1373.
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Report Notes Possible Lack of Transportation Security Inspectors (TSIs)
A new government report issued Feb. 6 examines changes in the number and management of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) transportation safety inspector (TSI) workforce over the years. The report—issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO)—attempts to cover the period since 2003, when the security inspectors were handed off from their former home base in the Department of Transportation to their current one in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The results? Auditors were unable to provide solid statistics on TSIs prior to 2005. Since that time, however, the number of TSIs has grown: from 601 “on-board aviation” TSIs in FY 2005 to 697 in FY 2008 (up 16 percent), and from 160 “on-board cargo” TSIs in FY 2005 to 475 in FY 2008 (up around 197 percent). Despite the rise, auditors concluded that “TSA does not have a reasonable basis for determining the TSI workforce needed to achieve inspection goals.” The GAO report further concluded. “According to TSA officials, TSA does not have a human capital or other workforce plan for the TSI program, but the agency has plans to conduct a staffing study in fiscal year 2009 to identify the optimal workforce size to address its current and future program needs. In addition, not all inspection goals have been achieved.” These problems create concern, the GAO reminded, because TSI responsibilities continue to grow—for example, they now include a provision that the force should physically screen 50 percent of all cargo on passenger aircraft by early this year—and 100 percent by next year. The repot contains additional details on TSI responsibilities and staffing levels—and to view these, go to: www.gao.gov/new.items/d09123r.pdf
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