Comment Number: 05-02582-EREG-237-d7391-c32383
Received: 3/16/2005 8:00:00 AM
Subject: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Request for Comment
Title: National Security Personnel System
CFR Citation: 5 CFR Chapter XCIX and Part 9901
No Attachments

Comments:

The propsosed changes to the terms of technician employment seem incomplete and lack the protections currently in place. When there are several different types of employees in a workplace with several different sets of rules governing them union representation is a must. I believe NSPS will remove the unions from the equation leaving the technician employees with no rights to protest unfair treatment. This would in turn, eventually cause a loss of the technician workforce. That hardly seems fair.
The opposition to NSPS comes not from the unions but from the union members,the technicians. Please keep this in mind as the voice of the people is speaking. I hope you are listening. If the scheduled step increases are removed the technician work force will fall even farther behind the civilian work force. I have no doubt of this.
I understand the theory behind the proposal, to make the employee perform to their very highest ability. First, not everyone has the same ability. They might be putting 200% effort into their job. Will they be rewarded for that? Probably not. Often "likeability" plays a large roll in promotibility. Some people are just not the outgoing type. This will effect the supervisors view also. That isn't fair.
Rather than pick the proposal apart line by line, I would suggest that the current system remain in place. If revisions are needed, then that is where the union comes into play. Go to the employees and see what is broken and fix it. The current system has evolved the way it did because of growth. Is that not where we need to go?
I agree that there are changes needed. Health insurance would be a wonderful place to start. Now there is a broken system. If cost cutting is needed that is a huge place to roam around in. I believe that if no improvement is made to correct the course health care is taking only the most wealthy people will be able to afford it. A nice return to the 18th century there.
With the down sizing of our military it seems a bit silly to chase away the tech force doesn't it? That is what will happen if NSPS is put in action. Technicians fill a vital role in supporting the full-time military forces. We also face the same risks as the military as we are also military members. Why would a well trained person work for the technician program if they could be better compensated in the civilian work force and not face the risks we do?
No, I don't believe loyalty to country covers it, they could still be guard or reserve members. There is a certain advantage to be had when your full time job keeps you constantly increasing your skills for your military job. I would think that makes for some very skilled troops. That is what makes America strong. We really need to be strong especially now. If NSPS comes about we will surely loose our technician work force. That would leave a heavy load for the downsized military to handle. I only know about my own work place, I think we barely get by with the people we have. Unfairly treated technicians will indeed look else where for employment. NSPS looks unfair and unreasonable to me. Thank you for your time.