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8/17/10 - Special Union News
GAO Union and Management
Agree to Work Collaboratively to Revise GAO's Performance Assessment System
The GAO Union and GAO management have reached an agreement to work collaboratively on revising GAO's performance management system. While GAO management will continue to work with numerous stakeholders to revise the existing system, it will work exclusively with the Union to develop the next system used for analysts and specialists in the bargaining unit. According to statute, management retains the right to decide how it will assess employee performance. It is a sign of our evolving collaborative relationship that GAO management has invited the Union to work together for bargaining unit employees in this manner.
- The goal of this collaboration will be to ensure significant and meaningful changes that increase the confidence of both employees and management in the performance management system at GAO.
- This is a real opportunity for GAO Analysts and Specialists to have a voice and be directly involved in every step of revising GAO's performance management system.
- This agreement also represents another step forward in the Union's goal of working constructively with GAO management to jointly solve problems, address employee concerns, and promote an excellent work environment at GAO.
This is an unusual approach between labor and management. It is more frequently the case in the federal sector that appraisal systems are developed by management for employees in an adversarial environment. According to the agreement, the Union and management will work together collaboratively using an interest-based, or problem solving, approach. This is the approach that GAO management and the Union have been using in the ongoing master contract negotiations, which began in early 2010.
The revisions to the current system, which GAO management agrees could be major, will be based upon the findings of recent studies, such as the Ivy Group's "African American Performance Assessment Study: Final Report (2008)" and GAO's recent "Performance Appraisal System Study." These studies were highly critical of the current performance management system and the Union has focused on the results of these studies as a starting point for reviewing and revising the system.
If you have thoughts about how you would like to see the performance management system revised, please email us at gaoanalysts@ifpte.org, or contact any one of your Union representatives.
Email Shutdown Still Planned for Thursday through Sunday, August 19-22; Tips and Suggestions for Dealing with the Shutdown
GAO is proceeding with plans to shut down the email system this Thursday through Sunday, (August 19-22). GAO management recently provided its plans and some limited guidance for employees to reference during the outage.
Your Union representatives have strongly voiced the concerns of GAO analysts and specialists about the email shutdown. However, while the GAO Union made specific suggestions to management, the agency still plans to go ahead with the shutdown beginning this Wednesday at 10 pm EST. In particular, we were surprised and disappointed to learn that GAO management will not provide an outgoing auto-reply message to those who attempt to email GAO addresses during the email blackout, because it is not technically feasible. Union leadership will attend a regular meeting with the Executive Committee this week and will share your concerns about the email shutdown and the change in email retention policy.
The Union urges you to consider the following tips for dealing with the email shutdown:
- print off your calendar and key emails prior to the shutdown,
- mention the shutdown in your email signature line,
- make plans with your engagement teams for how you will communicate through the email blackout, and
- if you will be on travel status starting on or after the email shutdown dates of August 19-22, make sure your travel authorizations are emailed to SATO prior to the email shutdown.
Elections for President, Treasurer, & Secretary, and All Assembly Delegate Representatives Planned for September and October—more details to follow
Your democratically-represented GAO Union will soon be holding elections for Union representatives in September and October 2010, in accordance with the GAO Union Constitution. If you are a dues-paying member of the Union, you can run for any of the following Union-wide offices:
- President
- Treasurer
- Secretary
In addition, elections will be held for all Assembly Delegate positions this fall. Assembly Delegates are voted in by specific or self-selected constituencies, and they serve on the Union Assembly—which sets Union policy. These 36 representatives include:
- HQ mission team representatives,
- PDP representatives, and
- At-large representatives, including Band I and diversity representatives.
Remember, only Union members can run for office or vote for those representing GAO's analysts and specialists. For more information about serving, feel free to email us at gaoanalysts@ifpte.org, or contact any one of your Union representatives.
~~ If you want to run or vote, then join! ~~ |
