Unions Fighting Pentagon’s New Personnel Policy Proposals
Representatives from a coalition of Defense unions delivered a letter of protest and a list of recommendations for the new National Security Personnel System to Acting Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England during an hourlong meeting Thursday morning. The letter was signed by Byron Charlton of the United DoD Workers Coalition. American Federation of Government Employee officials said they plan legal action to block the new system as soon as the final regulations are sent to Congress.
Pentagon officials recently concluded more than a month of “meet and confer” sessions with union representatives, and are working on the final regulations which are anticipated in the near future.
In 2003, Congress allowed Pentagon to reshape its civilian personnel system. In January of this year, Defense personnel officials proposed the removal of the General Schedule system, the implementation of a performance pay framework, a streamlined appeals process, market-based compensation, and a reduction in collective bargaining.
The unions argued, however, that performance pay should be a smaller part of overall pay and that civilian pay at Defense should be increased comparable with military pay. Its recommendation paper was partially titled “Labor’s Proposals For Positive Change Versus Management’s Unlawful Return to the 19th Century”
See GoveExec.com (June 15/05) – Unions continue fight against Pentagon personnel system
