Advocates of pay parity are asking the House Appropriations Committee to give civilian federal workers the 3.4 percent annual pay raise a separate panel approved for the military as part of the fiscal 2010 Defense authorization bill.
That figure is 0.5 percentage points higher than the 2.9 percent 2010 pay hike President Obama requested for the military in his February budget outline, and 1.4 percentage points more than his recommended civilian pay boost. Obama said at the time that the smaller civilian raise would bring "federal pay and benefit practices more in line with the private sector," which is suffering from the economic downturn.
"Federal employees work side by side with military personnel both here and abroad and deserve to be recognized for their extraordinary efforts," House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Rep. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y., and Federal Workforce Subcommittee Chairman Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., wrote to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., on June 22. "Civilian employees serving at [Defense], FBI, State, [Homeland Security], and at many other agencies support the men and women of the armed forces and work tirelessly to ensure the security of our nation."
Freshman Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., called for pay parity in March, but did not name a figure. Lynch earlier this year said he would ask for as much as a 3.9 percent pay raise for both military and civilian employees.
Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, said on Wednesday that pay parity was an important principle that Congress should continue to uphold.
"Whatever the number, NTEU fully supports pay parity between civilian and military employees," she said.
House lawmakers on Wednesday revived federal retirement reforms that were stripped out of the newly enacted tobacco legislation.
H.R. 2990, which would allow veterans receiving disability benefits from the Veterans Affairs Department to receive full retirement benefits from the Defense Department, included a provision that would let employees in the Federal Employee Retirement System count unused sick leave toward their pensions. The House, which approved the bill under a suspension of the rules, plans to roll H.R. 2990 into the fiscal 2010 Defense authorization bill.
Other measures included in H.R. 2990 would make it easier to rehire federal retirees part time; modify how the Civil Service Retirement System calculates annuity payments for employees who retire as part-time workers; and move federal employees in Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. territories from cost-of-living adjustments into the locality pay system. In addition, H.R. 2990 permits FERS workers to redeposit retirement funds, including interest, collected after leaving government upon returning for a second round of service. It would also allow District of Columbia Circuit Court employees, who are now considered federal workers, to count their time as district employees toward their retirement.
One federal retirement reform not included in H.R. 2990 was a provision that would allow federal retirees rehired by the government to keep their full annuity payments. Supporters of the measure had argued it would give agencies more flexibility to use experienced workers to meet agency needs, but some unions said it would put current workers at a disadvantage and circumvent fair hiring procedures.
The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association issued a press release praising H.R. 2990, but criticized lawmakers for leaving the rehiring provisions out. That provision could be included in the Senate's version of the Defense authorization bill.
The following language was marked up this morning by the House Armed Services Committee in the National Defense Authorization Act. We will have to wait and see how the language fares through the legislative process.
DOD Civilian Personnel
National Security Personnel System (NSPS)
Congress has enacted several changes to NSPS, and is encouraged by the administration's decision to review the system. However, concerns about NSPS' effectiveness and impact on employees remain. The committee therefore restores the full 100% nationwide adjustment (a cost-of-living pay increase) requirement for all employees under NSPS. Currently, NSPS employees only receive a 60% adjustment. Further, DOD is not permitted to reclassify any General Schedule (GS) positions to NSPS, and all new hires must enter the GS system.
Finally, within one year of the bill's enactment, the department is required to return all NSPS positions to the GS system. The Secretary of Defense is directed to provide a report on NSPS within six months prior to the deadline to allow Congress sufficient time to consider his recommendations. Similar restrictions are imposed upon the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System.
Brothers and Sisters, Hopefully this language survives. Stay tuned!
Proposals to Reduce the Deficit and Achieve Savings for American Taxpayers
Submitted to the President of the United States
By
Republican Leader John Boehner
&
Republican Whip Eric Cantor
June 4, 2009
REFORM FEDERAL PERSONNEL POLICIES TO REFLECT PRIVATE SECTOR PRACTICES
Update The Formula For Federal Pensions To Reflect Private Sector Practices
Initial pension benefits for federal civilian employees are calculated based on the average of employee’s highest earnings over three consecutive years. It is common practice in the private sector to base benefits on a five year average. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that moving to a five year average would save taxpayers $1.2 billion over five years.
Eliminate Full-time Union Representatives From Federal Payroll
Under current law, Federal employees who are part of a collective bargaining unit may be granted "official time" to perform representational duties on behalf of the union. While on official time, the employee is paid by the government but is acting on behalf of the union. According to the Office of Personnel Management, in FY 2008 the Federal government spent $120 million paying employees for their time spent working on union activities. While some employees only spend minimal time on union activities, others are designated as 100 percent on official time, meaning they are paid to spend all of their time on union activities. In their report, OPM suggests a significant amount of the time spent on general labor-management category (as opposed to dispute resolution or contract negotiations) is spent by those on 100 percent official time. Eliminating 100 percent official time would save taxpayers millions of dollars each year. Savings of just 10% a year would save taxpayers $12 million next year and $60 million over five years.
Eliminate Retirement Payments For Federal Workers Who Retire Before Age 62
The Federal government provides civilian employees with a benefit not normally offered to private sector employees, Federal employees who retire at age 55 or older with at least 30 years of service or at age 60 with at least 20 years of service receive until they reach 62 a benefit equal to the estimated Social Security benefit for which the worker will become eligible at age 62. This policy not only encourages Federal employees to retire early, but it comes at a significant cost to taxpayers. Preliminary estimates indicate that the early retirement benefit costs taxpayers $267 million a year.
Senator Puts Taxing Health Benefits
"On the Table"
Immediate Action Needed to Avoid Tax Hike on Fire Fighters Call Your Senators Today <
The nation's professional fire fighters could see their federal taxes jump under a health care plan being pushed by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), who chairs the Senate committee that oversees tax policy on Capitol Hill.
Senator Baucus has stated and is fighting in support of a plan to tax employees on the value of their employer-provided health care to pay for an overhaul of the nation's health care system.
If you have health care insurance provided by your employer, as virtually every single IAFF member does, you will be disproportionately taxed by Senator Baucus's plan.
While President Obama campaigned strongly AGAINST such a plan, and has continued to indicate he does NOT support Senator Baucus's proposal to tax health benefits, the plan has support among a number of Democrats and Republicans in Congress.
We need your help and action immediately to fight Senator Baucus's plan! If enacted, the health care tax could cost you several thousand dollars a year.
"We need every IAFF member in the nation to call both of your senators <
Call and email both of your senators with a simple message:
"Don't support any health care plan that taxes health care benefits."
The Senate switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. Simply call this number and ask to be transferred to your senator's office.
Click here <
CALLING ALL SAN DIEGO FIRE DEPARTMENTS
Please join us for the 29th Annual MDA Padres Tailgate and Firefighter Chili Cook-off on June 20th at the Embarcadero Marina Park South!
Over 1,200 people will be at the Embarcadero Marina Park South on June 20th for this exciting event. We anticipate over 25 stations at the event showing off their signature chili for the hungry crowd.
We will also have all you can eat and drink hamburgers, hot dogs, bratwurst and our newest addition, The Tailgate Microbrewery Garden featuring beer from: Firehouse Brewing, Coronado Brewing Company, Pizza Port Brewing and Karl Strauss. Live music and a world-class sports memorabilia complete the festivities.
Your $100 registration fee includes 10 admission tickets to the party and 10 admission tickets to the Padres game that evening vs. the Oakland A’s.
We hope to see you there. Sign up now as space is limited!
If you have any questions, call Angel Chanchea at
858-492-9792 or achanchea@mdausa.org
Friends till the fight is won!
Yesterday the Senate Homeland Security Committee approved our firefighter presumptive illness legislation, also known as S.599 "The Federal Firefighter Fairness Act of 2009" It will now move to the Senate floor for approval. The House will presumably act on the legislation soon thereafter. Attached is a link to the Committee discussion at the 47 minute mark.
http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=b2be1f05-3b87-4be2-bef4-3cd432589e7e
The House version of this bill, HR. 948 has 125 co-sponsors so if you have not written to or asked your Congressman to cosponsor please do so NOW!
DoD, OPM Announce Defense Business Board NSPS Review
Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn III and Director of the Office of Personnel Management John Berry asked the Defense Business Board yesterday to establish a task group to conduct a review of the National Security Personnel System.
“The task group should deliver recommendations aimed at helping the Department determine (1) if the underlying design principles and methodology for implementation are reflected in the program objectives; (2) whether the program objectives are being met; and (3) whether NSPS is operating in a fair, transparent, and effective manner,” wrote Lynn in his instructions to the Defense Business Board.
The task group will seek public input over a series of opportunities to be announced at a later date, and present its findings and draft recommendations to the Defense Business Board during a public meeting later this summer. The board will provide its final report to the secretary of defense and to the director, Office of Personnel Management, shortly thereafter.
The task group will be chaired by Rudy deLeon, the senior vice president of National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C. The other members of the group will be Michael Bayer, chairman of the Defense Business Board, and Robert Tobias, a professor at American University and director for the Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation.
The Defense Business Board, an independent advisory body that operates under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, was established to provide the secretary of defense independent advice and recommendations on effective management of the Department of Defense.
On March 16, 2009, the Department of Defense and the Office of Personnel Management had announced that they will undertake a review of the National Security Personnel System, including policies, regulations, and practices.
The Office of Personnel Management announced on Monday that it will delay until August a decision on whether to repeal a requirement that federal employees spend at least one year in a pay grade before they can be promoted.
The original rule, crafted during the Bush administration, was scheduled to take effect on March 9, but was delayed to allow for a longer comment period after the Obama administration asked agencies to take 60 extra days to consider regulations that had been published in the Federal Register but not yet implemented. OPM decided to postpone enforcement "to avoid the unnecessary expense of allowing a rule to take effect that may later be amended or revoked as a result of the rule-making proceeding."
The regulation would have eliminated the so-called time-in-grade rule, which requires that federal employees in jobs at the General Schedule 5 level or above, spend one year in that position before they are eligible for promotion to a higher pay grade. Those workers also must meet requirements related to job qualifications.
National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley said she hoped the announcement meant that OPM would study the impact of time-in-grade more closely, paying particular attention on the importance of basing promotions on experience rather than favoritism.
"A key element in an effective civil service is both the perception and the reality of fairness and objectivity in the treatment of employees," Kelley said in a statement. "The time-in-grade rules help foster such an environment."
But John Palguta, vice president for policy at the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, said the time-in-grade regulation was an arbitrary distinction that should be eliminated because it has nothing to do with qualifications. For example, he said time-in-grade requirements could prevent the advancement of extremely qualified people from the private sector who chose to start second careers in government.
"It doesn't mean everyone's going to shoot to the full performance level, because they still have to meet the full qualification requirements," providing an appropriate check on favoritism in promotions, Palguta said.
He also noted that because time-in-grade rules apply only to employees who are covered under the General Schedule, those who work under alternative pay systems might be able to receive promotions quicker than their colleagues in other agencies, creating a disparity.
"You might end up having a situation where you have some haves and have-nots," Palguta said.
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