Unions
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Under the squeeze of sequestration, the size of the Internal Revenue Service's workforce contracted by nearly 6,000 employees by the end of last year, according to new IRS data. At the end of fiscal 2013, the IRS workforce stood at 83,613 employees -- the fewest number in more than decade. That's also 5,938 fewer employees than the agency had on board at the end of fiscal 2012.
March 24, 2014 -
Re-learning how to talk can improve your agency's labor-union relationships.
March 21, 2014 -
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" Transportation Security Administration Local 1230 President James Mudrock discusses ongoing safety concerns at TSA while Department of Veterans Affairs Local 2425 Secretary-Treasurer LaDean Mitchell shares her dedication and commitment to caring for veterans. Professor Jeffrey Hilgert, author of "Hazard or Hardship: Crafting Global Norms on the Right to Refuse Unsafe Work," also appears.
March 21, 2014 -
The National Council on Federal Labor-Management Relations is getting ready to launch new tools to help partnerships between agency management and federal-employee unions better measure their effectiveness. A handful of agencies are months late in compiling metrics on the use and effectiveness of the forums, according to a report presented at a meeting of the labor-management council Wednesday. Unions are frustrated with the haphazard data collection.
March 19, 2014 -
Career diplomats are unhappy with certain diplomatic appointees.
March 17, 2014 -
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" retired AFGE members Terri Blackburn and Bob Thompson join Local 1662 President Katie Rasdall to discuss the union's Defense Conference mentor program. Local 3377 President Kevin Tinker and Vice President Cynthia Jarvis address concerns at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. VA Local 2109 member John Mabane and Local 1988 steward Marcellus Shields highlight the union's Y.O.U.N.G. program
March 07, 2014 -
For far too long federal agencies have looked to the training budget as one of the first places to cut (after travel) when budgets are tight. Training cuts are among the most shortsighted of the budget-cutting options, says former Homeland Security CHCO Jeff Neal.
March 07, 2014 -
The White House's fiscal 2015 budget proposal released Tuesday aims to boost funding for federal-employee training, which has been hard hit by across-the-board sequestration cuts in recent years. The budget also proposes a 1 percent pay increase for federal employees and leaves untouched federal retirement programs.
March 04, 2014 -
OPM Director Katherine Archuleta didn't have details on the proposals, but she said agencies need to learn from each other and build on their successes.
March 03, 2014 -
IRS Commissioner John Koskinen told members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government that budget and staffing reductions are impacting the agency's core missions of customer service and tax collection. The agency projects it will only be able to answer 61 percent of phone calls this year, meaning some 20 million phone calls will go unanswered. Meanwhile, taxpayers attempting to reach IRS offices are facing wait times that stretch past 20 minutes.
February 27, 2014 -
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" EPA Council 238 Executive Vice President Denise Morrison and Local 704 President John O'Grady discuss the impact of staffing and budget cuts at EPA. AFGE VA Local 1988 Executive Vice President Geddes Scott, TSA Local 554 President Robert Williams and Department of Transportation Local 3313 EVP Robena Reid also appear.
February 27, 2014 -
The Senate subcommittee with oversight of the federal workforce will take up the issue of federal-employee compensation and sinking employee morale. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), the subcommittee chairman, said at the National Treasury Employees Union's annual legislative conference that the hearing would focus, in part, on making sure federal pay stays competitive with the private sector.
February 26, 2014 -
More than 100 members of the House and a dozen outside groups have signed on to a letter to President Barack Obama from Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) requesting that the upcoming White House budget not include a proposal to alter the way retirees' cost-of-living adjustments are calculated. The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, the American Federation of Government Employees and the Military Officers Association of American have signed on in support of the letter.
February 19, 2014 -
The National Treasury Employees Union has distributed copies of a new public-service announcement featuring NTEU members to 300 TV stations and 1,000 radio stations nationwide. The theme of NTEU's campaign is "They Work for US." In addition to the radio and TV ads, the effort includes a website, Facebook page and a social media push. In a conference call with reporters Wednesday announcing the campaign, NTEU President Colleen Kelley said the aim of the campaign is to change the conversation about federal employees.
February 12, 2014 -
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" attendees of the union's annual Legislative and Grassroots Mobilization Conference discuss critical issues facing federal employees. Guests include Washington, D.C., Mayor Vincent Gray, Reps. Tom Cole (Okla.) and Chris Van Hollen (Md.), and the Rev. Terry Melvin, president of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. AFGE Council of Prison Locals Western Regional Vice President Michael Meserve also appears.
February 12, 2014