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2/2/10 Union News
GAO Union Reaches Agreement with Management to Improve PDP Pay Structure; Members Vote this Week
The union has reached an agreement with management to increase salary raises for staff in the Professional Development Program (PDP) . The agreement increases the percentages used to calculate PDP raises and provides a one-time payment intended to address delays stemming from the negotiation process. In addition, the new raise formula for PDP staff will fix a quirk in the current system that disadvantages certain employees in comparison with peers who have roughly comparable salaries. The agreement between the Union and management is subject to approval by the Union membership.
The agreement contains the following elements:
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PDP analysts will continue to receive performance ratings, but will no longer be assessed for performance categories. As long as PDP analysts meet expectations in all competencies, they will receive pay increases at a new applicable rate, which is higher than the prior applicable Category 1 rate. All PDP employees who achieve at least meets expectations in all competencies will receive the highest raise available to an employee at that salary. Under the existing system, this was not always the case.
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A $500 one-time cash payout will be paid to all PDP staff who received a performance evaluation from a Performance Review Group (PRG) since August 16, 2009. This payout is for employees who have had a PRG since management first proposed to implement the changes to the PDP pay.
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The quirky "cliff effect" that disadvantaged certain employees will be eliminated. Employees are guaranteed that they will not be worse off because their salaries happen to fall near the bottom of the salary quartiles that GAO uses to determine PDP raises. The system will be changed to make sure these employees are made whole if the standard calculation would make them worse off than slightly lower-paid colleagues.
As a part of this agreement, management and the Union agreed to study further the process of how PDP employees are paid.
This agreement must be voted on for ratification by all GAO Union members. Voting will begin on February 2 and will end on February 9. If you would like to join in order to vote, you have until February 5 to submit your application. --Contributed by Stephen Robblee, PDP-Within Rep
PDP Pay Structure Brownbag Discussions To Be Held Wed. 2/3 and Fri. 2/5 (VTC available)
The GAO Union will hold brownbag sessions to explain the PDP pay agreement. These sessions are focused on PDP issues, but they are open to all PDP Analysts, and will be held at the following dates and times:
Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 12 noon to 1 pm EST: HQ 2N30 and the following Field VTC Rooms
· Chicago (Main Room)
· Huntsville (Second Room)
· Norfolk (Second Room)
A call-in number is available: call (877) 953-3233, passcode 8063640.
Friday, Feb. 5 at 12 noon to 1 pm EST: HQ 5N30 and the following Field VTC Rooms:
· Atlanta (Third Room)
· Boston (Main Room)
· Dallas (Second Room)
· Los Angeles (Second Room)
· Seattle (Second Room)
· San Francisco (Main Room)
A call-in number is available: call (800) 857-6152, passcode 1948889.
An official time code
will be provided at the brown bags for employees attending the brown bag to charge,
with the permission of their supervisors. --Contributed by Sara Olds, PDP-Within Rep
Double Your Donations for Haiti through Union Plus
Union Plus, which offers benefits to IFPTE Union members, will automatically double your contribution to the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center's Earthquake Relief for Haitian Workers Fund. Any GAO Union member or potential Union member in the GAO bargaining unit can contribute, either online or by check. See this link on the Union Plus Web Site for more information. --Contributed by Dan Meyer, VP-Field
Training for President Obama’s New Executive Order on Labor-Management Forums
Federal agencies are now responsible for initiating numerous labor-management relations initiatives as a result of President Obama's December 9 Executive Order entitled "Creating Labor-Management Forums to Improve Delivery of Government Services." The Executive Order requires that agency managers participate in a labor-management forum and allow employees and their union representatives to have pre-decisional involvement in all workplace matters. The Federal Management Institute recorded a webinar on Friday, January 29 regarding the requirements, issues and challenges that agencies and unions will face with its interpretation and implementation. You can view this recorded session from your home computer at this link (a download for your media player is required) at the Institute's website, www.federalmanagementinstitute.com. One self-reported CPE is available through prior coordination with GAO’s Learning Center. --Contributed by Sean Seales, Dayton Rep
Past Communiques
1/29/10: GAO Union and Management Plan to Go to the PAB to Resolve PBC Pay
1/11/10: Ratification of Across-the-Board Pay; PBC Pay Negotiations; Survey of Priorities
for Master Contract Negotiations Coming Soon
1/05/10: Vote on Across-the-Board Pay; PBC Negotiations Continue
12/15/09: 2010 Pay Negotiations Begin December 11, 2009
11/20/09: Award Nominations for Union Volunteers; Performance Appraisal System study released; TVA Engineers Join IFPTE
11/03/09: Master Contract Process Agreement; Sick Leave Change; Annual Union Meeting on Dec.2
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