GAO ANALYSTS PAB UPDATE PAB General Counsel Petitions to Restore Band IIA Pay and Promotion Status The GAO Personnel Appeals Board General Counsel filed a Petition on behalf of more than a dozen Band IIA Analysts seeking back pay, interest and restoration of promotion status. The Petition, filed September 5, 2006, alleges that the Band II Restructuring Order resulted in an illegal demotion and prohibited personnel practices. A hearing on the Petition is scheduled for March 2007. After a thorough investigation, the PAB GC determined that a PAB claim was warranted. (The PAB General Counsel has authority to represent GAO employees in claims before the PAB to prosecute violations of the GAO Personnel Act.) According to the Petition, the Band II Restructure was illegal: The CG did not have authority to effectively demote employees from Band II to Band IIA. The Band IIB selection criteria were not validated, prior to the restructuring. The MATS data, upon which Roles and Responsibilities were assessed, is “unreliable.” There were “significant flaws and inconsistencies in GAO’s SRS calculations,” upon which Past Performance was assessed. To see the full text of the petition, with identifying information redacted click here [PDF]. It is time to be PROACTIVE in the area of performance reviews and promotions. GAO Analysts believe there should be system-wide reform of the GAO process to incorporate the best practices from other agencies, academic institutions and business. We have done a lot of research, and we think the only way we can make a real difference AND hold GAO management to their word is to form a Union, and negotiate a binding union contract that protects our right to a transparent, objective, and fair pay and promotion system. [view all updates]