Sharon Roth of the Merit Systems Protection Board discusses a new survey on federal management. Lt. Cmdr. Jean Marie Sullivan of the Navy Office of Women's Policy talks about the new DoD decision to open up combat jobs to women. Greg Kutz, a senior audit executive with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Audit, talks about a new report his agency released. Keith Lucas, vice president for AFGE Council 228, discusses a new contract his union signed with the Small Business Administration.
The Small Business Administration and the American Federation of Government Employees inked a new three-year deal Thursday, extending a number of flexible workplace policies to more than 2,000 federal employees. Among the new benefits are streamlined telework privileges and the ability for employees to opt in to a four-day work-week with expanded hours each day.
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" AFGE Defense Conference Chair Don Hale discusses the possibility of furloughs for civilian DoD workers if sequestration occurs. Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul addresses China's impact on U.S. manufacturing while Robyn Kehoe of the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund details FEEA's work with AFGE to aid Superstorm Sandy victims. AFGE Council of Prison Locals President Dale Deshotel also appears.
OPM announced federal offices would be open Monday on a "delayed arrival" schedule. It was the first time the agency has used the classification since it revamped its closure policies last year. But it didn't go off without a hitch - OPM updated the operating status language twice and some federal employees said they were confused by OPM's communication.
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" AFGE Legislative and Political Director Beth Moten will preview the union's 2013 Legislative and Grassroots Mobilization Conference Feb. 10 - 13. AFGE Council of Prison Locals President Dale Deshotel and National Council of SSA Field Operations Locals President Witold Skwierczynski also address issues at their respective agencies.
OPM's Angela Bailey discusses how agencies are struggling to fill critical skill gaps in the hard sciences. Procurement attorney Joe Petrillo fills us in on what to expect with the new defense authorization law. Jacque Simon of AFGE says her union is frustrated with the lack of attention being paid to federal workers' concerns over sequestration. John Palguta of the Partnership for Public Service discusses possible changes agencies may face in President Obama's second term.
Guidance from the administration on what steps federal agencies should take to prepare for potential across-the-board budget cuts has set off a war of words between federal-employee unions and industry groups. The American Federation of Government Employees says guidance exempts contractors at the expense of federal employees, but industry groups say the criticism is misguided.
Dwight Bowman, the national vice president of the American Federation of Government Employees' 14th district, died suddenly Wednesday morning, the union announced.
Defense Deputy Secretary Ashton Carter told DoD components Thursday to draw up plans for full-year continuing resolution, plus sequestration. The approach to deal with across-the-board cuts would be to freeze civilian hiring, cut training, travel and conferences and reduce business technology expenditures.
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" TSA Local 1230 President James Mudrock discusses the union's successful efforts to halt a privatization initiative at the Sacramento International Airport. Women's Campaign Fund and She Should Run President and CEO Siobhan "Sam" Bennett, Economic Policy Institute President Larry Mishel and AFGE Member Benefits Coordinator Mark Williams also appear.
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" the program revisits several memorable interviews from 2012. Guests include Reps. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., and Donna Christensen, D- Virgin Islands, and former Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D- Ohio, who participated in a congressional roundtable on health care reform. Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Rebuild the Dream President and Co-founder Van Jones also appear.
Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick introduced a bill to extend the pay freeze for federal workers for all of fiscal 2013. The Senate still must pass the bill.
Congress has cleared the way for a $633 billion defense policy bill that includes mandated reductions to the Defense Department's civilian and contractor workforces. Leaders of a House-Senate conference committee, tasked with reconciling competing versions of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act, included in the final report the automatic workforce reductions that opponents say would result in about 36,000 job losses.
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) discusses the sacrifices made by federal employees toward reducing the nation's deficit while AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr. outlines the union's 2013 agenda. AFGE Defense Conference Chair Don Hale details the impact sequestration would have on civilian Defense Department workers.
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" 14th District National Vice President Dwight Bowman highlights the union's participation in the D.C. government labor-management partnership. Social Security Works Executive Director Alex Lawson provides a closer look at the Strengthen Social Security coalition while Campaign for America's Future Co-director Roger Hickey analyzes Michigan's right-to-work legislation.