FederalDaily - November 2, 2007
NTEU Asks Impasse Panel to Tackle CBP Dispute
The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) has filed a formal motion asking the Federal Service
Impasses Panel (FSIP) to help the union settle a bargaining dispute with the Bureau of Customs and
Border Protection (CBP). NTEU is asking the panel to help in its efforts to replace four different
sets of work rules that currently govern CBP management and employees with a nationwide contract that
imposes a single set of rules. According to NTEU, CBP has refused to take the first step of agreeing
on the ground rules for negotiating a new agreement. The union is asking FSIP to intervene in the ground
rules dispute—and to respond to a ground rules request the parties filed with the panel nearly
six weeks ago. “Almost from the day CBP was created, its leadership has complained about having
to manage under four different sets of work rules that it inherited with the agencies that were consolidated
to form CBP,” said NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley. “CBP testified under oath before the
Federal Labor Relations Authority about the hardships and costs this creates and the need to replace
multiple unions with just one union and one set of rules.” Kelley said management now is saying
that it can work indefinitely under the multiple sets of rules. To see more, go to: www.nteu.org/PressKits/PressRelease/PressRelease.aspx?ID=1168.
:: Back to Top ::
Bush Nominates New Agriculture Secretary
President Bush on Oct. 31 nominated Ed Schafer as the next secretary of Agriculture. Schaefer, who
served eight years as governor of North Dakota, succeeds Mike Johanns, a former Nebraska governor who
resigned in September to run for a Senate seat that will be vacated by Chuck Hagel, R-Neb. The president
praised Schafer’s work on agricultural issues during his years as governor, pointing to his work
to open Chinese markets for trade with North Dakota farmers and ranchers, and overseeing the development
of the state’s agricultural biofuels industry. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Conner has
been serving as acting secretary since Johanns’ resignation. To see more, go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/10/20071031-9.html.
:: Back to Top ::
Group Increases Scholarships for Feds’ Children
The non-profit association WAEPA said it has expanded its year-old college scholarship program for
children of federal employees. WAEPA President John Seal said the “tremendous” response
after the group introduced the program last year—along with the high quality of the applicants—convinced
the nonprofit’s board to increase the number of scholarships for the second year of the program.
As a result, the group has established the following 65 scholarships for the 2008-2009 academic year:
One $4,000 scholarship, renewable up to three years for a total of $16,000; three $3,000 scholarships,
renewable up to two years for a total of $9,000 per award; six $2,000 scholarships, renewable for one
year for a total value of $4,000 per award; and 40 $1,000 scholarships. For more information, go to: www.waepa.org/08_ScholarshipProgram.html.
:: Back to Top ::
|
