1. Why should I become a member of our union?
2. What are the benefits of becoming a union member?
3. What are the benefits of having a union at GAO?
4. What issues has our union resolved for individuals?
5. Will our union protect low performers?
6. Is the union going to remove the performance rating system?
7. Will our union be involved in partisan politics?
8. I'm not crazy about unions; how is our union different?
9. I don't have the time and energy to get involved, so why should I join?
10. Why does GAO need a union?
11. Will I be negatively impacted if I decide to join our union?
12. Can our union vote to strike?
13. What do I get if I join?
14. What if I don’t join?
15. Who can become a member of our union?
16. How do I become a member of our union?
17. What are my dues payment options?
18. I’m concerned about management finding out I’m a member. What are my options?
19. When do I have to decide whether to join our union or not?
20. When will I be required to pay union dues?
21. Will the union be charging “agency fees”?
22. Temporarily Unavailable
23. Where do I go for more information? |
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| 1. Why should I become a member of our union? |
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The GAO mission is to hold our government accountable to its citizens. We make recommendations to assist other agencies; we can do the same in helping GAO become a model agency. As GAO analysts, it is ingrained in us to ask questions, understand, and evaluate decisions and policies. Hence, it is only natural for us to do the same here at GAO, and with our union we now have legal authority.
Working together, our union can help improve the quality of life here at GAO by building a partnership with management in order to resolve issues, as well as recommending constructive changes. In order for this collaboration to be successful, we need as many perspectives as we can get to ensure we are moving in the right direction, as well as ensure we have quality leaders. With more members comes more legitimacy, which hopefully will encourage the best and the brightest of us to run for leadership positions with in our union.
More importantly, a union’s bargaining position is only as strong as its membership, and the more members and perspectives we represent, the stronger our voice and ability to affect improvements at GAO. Conversely, with low membership levels, the union will not be in a favorable bargaining position – and non-members will still be subject to what we negotiate! |
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| 2. What are the benefits of becoming a union member? |
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Membership gives you a voice in your union. As a member, you will be able to vote on whether to accept collective bargaining agreements with management (e.g., pay raises, master contract) and changes in our union’s structure. As well, you will be able to run or vote for union officers and representatives, and serve on committees which deal with a variety of issues. In addition, as a union member you will be entitled to IFPTE and AFL-CIO union benefits such as scholarships, loans, and retirement planning, to name a few. |
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| 3. What are the benefits of having a union at GAO? |
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A union is a group of employees who come together in a democratic process to negotiate with management on policies and practices to improve their work environment. We now have a democratic process to make changes at GAO, instead of relying solely on management to determine what is in our best interest or whether, when and how to involve employees in management decision-making. As a union, we now have the legal right and ability to negotiate and work with management on a professional level to make GAO a better agency and work environment. |
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| 4. What issues has our union resolved for individuals? |
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Contrary to the popular belief that unions only protect low performers, a number of the union officials and volunteers have worked very hard on their own time to resolve issues for mostly highly performing employees, including those receiving mostly role-model ratings. These issues include ensuring management resolves mistakes they made with pay or promotion opportunities, as well as ensuring all sides of a particular issue are taken into consideration before judgment is passed. Overall, when it comes to individual employees, the role of our union is to help resolve any issues that might come up during a career, for all employees, in a timely and professional manner so they can ensure that their career advances to its full potential. |
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| 5. Will our union protect low performers? |
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The union will not necessarily support the efforts of every employee who files a grievance, but will instead consider the circumstances and merits of each case based on objective standards. These decisions are delegated to our Grievance Committee, chaired by the Vice President of Grievance and Dispute Resolution, which is accountable to the union membership for their decisions.
The union also plays an important role in improving communications issues between managers and employees, regardless of their ratings, and ensuring that each employee is treated with dignity and respect, and is given their due process rights. For example, the Union can ensure management resolves mistakes they have made with pay or promotion opportunities, as well as ensure all sides of a particular issue are taken into consideration before judgment is passed. These issues could affect any employee, and in fact, a number of our elected union officials and volunteers have worked very hard on their own time to resolve issues for highly rated employees.
If there are difficult issues for any employee, the union will strive to assure that they are considered in a fair, consistent, and clearly understood process. |
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| 6. Is the union going to remove the performance rating system? |
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The majority of those currently involved in our union are not interested in removing the performance rating system, but instead are focused on improving it. We are working with management to improve this system through participation as a stakeholder in the agency-level Performance Appraisal Study, and as recommended by the Ivy Study and other experts.
Remember, our union’s positions are driven by members since it is a democracy, and if you join, that includes you. The policies and decisions our union will make in the future will depend on those who choose to become members and who actively participate. |
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| 7. Will our union be involved in partisan politics? |
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No, our union will maintain political neutrality. We have an agreement with IFPTE that our union will not be involved in any political endorsements or activities. The union at our sister agency, Congressional Research Service, has a similar agreement with IFPTE.
Union dues cannot legally go toward political contributions. Most unions, like IFPTE, have a Political Action Group (PAC) which union members can voluntarily contribute monies toward, separate from their union dues payments. |
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| 8. I’m not crazy about unions; how is our union different? |
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A criticism of some unions is that the leaders of a central union will push policies that individual local union members might not support. However, IFPTE is unusual in that their affiliated local unions are expected to be self-sufficient and independent. As part of our dues structure, we will give only a small portion of our union dues to IFPTE, which goes toward services such as legal counsel. Accordingly, we have autonomy over how we manage our union and the direction we want to move. For example, we developed our own constitution and decide what issues we would like to negotiate with management, not IFPTE.
Another criticism is that union dues go toward partisan politics; however, legally union dues cannot go toward political contributions. In addition, given GAO’s particular mission, we have an agreement with IFPTE that if they are involved partisan political causes GAO will remain neutral, similar to the Congressional Research Service’s agreement with IFPTE.
Another assumption is that unions are run by disgruntled employees, but there is no reason that has to be the case if we all take responsibility by being active members. Remember, a union is a democratic organization; even if generally you are not pro-union, we strongly encourage you to get involved to ensure your voice is heard.
Overall, our union is unique because GAO analysts are specifically qualified to weigh in on the direction of our model federal agency, and having a union will simply ensure that our ideas/proposals are based on data (which a union has the legal right to obtain) and negotiated with management through the collective bargaining process. |
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| 9. I don’t have the time and energy to get involved, so why should I join? |
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The democratic process is challenging; debating and working with others who have different points of view is not easy. As analysts at GAO, we know this better than most, given our team structure and our unique role in the U.S. democratic process. In order for our union to be successful, we need everyone involved whether you want to serve as an officer or simply keep up with the news to stay informed, and vote on questions presented to members. There are many ways to be involved in our union that do not require a lot of time and energy, but they all start with becoming a union member. |
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| 10. Why does GAO need a union? |
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Having a union simply means that GAO employees have the benefit of a legal structure, with clear rights and responsibilities, through which we can make a significant and lasting positive impact on GAO.
The GAO mission is to hold our government accountable to its citizens. We make recommendations to assist other agencies; we can do the same in helping GAO become a model agency. As GAO analysts, it is ingrained in us to ask questions, understand, and evaluate decisions and policies. Hence, it is only natural for us to do the same here at GAO. We bring all the talent and information from our work including expertise in human capital management. |
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| 11. Will I be negatively impacted if I decide to join our union? |
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No. Union leadership is not a career stopper, as proof, several elected union officials and active members have been promoted since we formed a union. If you choose to join as a passive union member, your union membership is confidential. However, if you become more active, you might be surprised by the leadership and communication skills you will develop. It may give managers a chance to see how you handle yourself in a negotiating setting. Our hope is that all future managers of GAO will have been actively involved in our union. Doing so will help them to better understand the issues concerning employees, which hopefully will make them better leaders.
One of the major reasons for a union is to ensure that no one has to bear the entire burden. We are “banding together” to create a balance within the GAO structure to ensure that the voice of the employees are heard. This is why membership is so important; with more numbers we can gain a stronger voice. If everyone is a member, how can management retaliate? |
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| 12. Can our union vote to strike? |
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No. Federal unions are not allowed to strike; instead, we use arbitration or mediation as a means to resolve any impasse during negotiations. Arbitration involves an arbitrator, a neutral trained professional who makes a determination after hearing from both parties, similar to a judge. Mediation involves a mediator, also a neutral trained professional who assists the disputing parties come to an agreement rather than making a decision like an arbitrator. The arbitrator and mediator must be agreed upon by management and our union, and we split the cost of their service to ensure neutrality. |
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| 13. What do I get if I join? |
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Unlike some union models, our union is not built around selling you a service or monetary benefit. Instead, our focus is participating and supporting our democratic organization to improve all of our lives at GAO. The most important benefit you get as a member is a voice. Not only will you be able to run and vote for representatives, you will also have a vote on major agreements with management and internal union policies.
You will also be entitled to IFPTE and AFL-CIO union benefits such as scholarships, loans, cell phone discounts, and retirement planning, to name a few. These benefits or discounts come from the purchasing power of all the union members associated with the AFL-CIO, not from union dues. Follow these links for more information:
i. http://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/benefits/
ii. http://www.ifpte.org/Member%20Tools/benefits.htm |
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| 14. What if I don’t join? |
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A union’s bargaining position is only as strong as its membership, and the more members and perspectives we represent, the stronger our voice and ability to make improvement at GAO. Conversely, with low membership levels, the union will not be in a favorable bargaining position – and non-members will still be subject to what we negotiate! Further, with more dues-paying members, the union will have more money to obtain important services such as mediation and legal counsel. |
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| 15. Who can become a member of our union? |
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Anyone in the “bargaining unit,” which is a term that refers to all employees in a given work setting who have union representation. The bargaining unit at GAO encompasses all analysts (PDP, Band I, IIA, and IIB), including, but not limited to: accountants, communications analysts, economists, methodologists, specialists, and statisticians. SES are not in the bargaining unit. APSS staff, attorneys, and Band IIIs are not in the bargaining unit at this time either, but there may be discussion of their joining later. |
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| 16. How do I become a member of our union? |
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To become a member, all you need to do is fill out a union membership application and select your dues payment option. After filling out and signing, please return this application, along with a form 676 or personal check for dues, to an elected union official or scan into a PDF and email to gaounionmembership@ifpte.org. |
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| 17. What are my dues payment options? |
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You have the option to have your dues deducted automatically from your pay, or via personal check. We strongly encourage everyone to use the automatic pay option by filling out a GAO Form 676. The automatic dues deduction option is easier for you and means less time and money when it comes to our union resources.
For a detailed explanation of payment options, please read our Membership Dues Guidelines document. You can also obtain more information by contacting your Assembly Delegates or an Officer. |
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| 18. I’m concerned about management finding out I’m a member. What are my options? |
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Please note that we have a written agreement with management that if you choose the more efficient automatic dues payment option by filling out a GAO Form 676, your information will not be shared with supervisors. Only the Human Capital Office and Workforce Relations employees responsible for filing 676 forms will have access to this information. In addition, we have an agreement with management that if this information is mistakenly shared with other parties our union will be notified.
We realize some people may have concerns about management knowing they are union members. Nevertheless, to address this concern, bargaining members can pay by personal check directly to our union. For more information on the mailing address, payment schedule and process please read our Membership Dues Guideline document.
One way we can minimize this concern is to encourage members to be open about being members of their union, thereby making members and potential members feel more comfortable about joining and asking questions. Our union is not a secret society, but a democratically organization run by your colleagues. Hence, our union’s reputation and effectiveness is based on the number and quality of it’s of members, and their ability to elect good leaders. |
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| 19. When do I have to decide whether to join our union or not? |
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You can become a member of your union anytime. To be eligible to vote or run for office or exercise any rights of membership, you must have submitted a signed application and be current with your dues. Refer to announcements for specific elections for relevant deadlines. For more information on timelines with membership, also please read our Membership Dues Guidelines document. |
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| 20. When will I be required to pay union dues? |
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As soon as you want to exercise any rights of membership, such as run for office, vote in elections (including ratification of negotiated contracts or major internal policies), or participate on committees. Membership is partially defined as being current with all dues. As with any democratic organization and union, dues are necessary in order to provide services (e.g., mediation, legal support during negotiations, etc.) and manage our affairs (e.g., insurance, office supplies, etc.). Only employees who voluntarily become members will have a say in the future of our union. |
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| 21. Will the union be charging “agency fees”? |
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No. An agency fee is a fee some unions in the private sector or state governments charge bargaining unit members who have elected not to become union members in order to recoup the services (e.g., legal council) and benefits (e.g., increase pay or improved flexibilities) they received from a union in their workplace. Federal employee unions are not allowed to charge agency fees to bargaining unit employees who choose not to become union members, even though they are entitled to all the benefits attained and supported by union members. |
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| 22. Temporarily Unavailable |
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| 23. Where do I go for more information? |
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If you have questions, please contact one of our elected Officers or Assembly Delegates. |
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