| Comment Number: | EM-017578 |
| Received: | 3/15/2005 10:35:18 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:
March 15, 2005 DoD NSPS Comments , DoD NSPS Comments: James Hunter 327-6th St. West Andalusia, IL 61232 I did not come to work for the government in order to be deployed anywhere in the world, at a moment’s notice and for as long as you want to send me. Seniority should always come before performance ratings. DoD wants to forget about all the years of dedicated service that I have performed. Probationary periods should be the same for everyone, not set for each individual employee. If you are going to remove the career-conditional status, there will be less opportunity for placement during RIFs. We will lose corporate knowledge as longer standing employees are separated. A national level bargaining agreement might be good for some things, but there will always be local issues that need to be dealt with at each agency. One size does not fit all! Unions should have the right to bargain, not to consultation. I should have advance notice of any changes to my working conditions. I have a family to care for and my life cannot be disrupted due to any whim that management might have. DoD is not following the intent of the law passed by Congress! Your proposals are unacceptable and contrary to law. DoD is not and should not be above the law. DoD has not allowed the Unions to be an active participant in this process. These proposals are all DOD’s and none of it is input from the Unions. Union should be able to negotiate any matters concerning appropriate arrangements for affected employees. Unions should not lose the right to participate in formal discussions between bargaining unit employees and managers. If my pay, including base and locality pay, and any annual increase is going to be changed, management and the Union should negotiate any proposed changes. Management has always been able to reward high performers with a monetary award, time off award, QSI, etc. We don’t need NSPS for this ! You are not providing any details concerning this so it is difficult to comment when I am not sure what you are proposing. We already have a multi-level rating system. With the 360 appraisal system that at least allows input from more than on individual. My ratings already add years to my seniority during a RIF. Performance should never be placed above seniority. I am a dedicated employee, and my rights should not be held back because of favoritism. We should continue to receive our cost of living increases so the across-the-board increases should not be taken away. Premium pay should not be tampered with. Now that we are at war, workload has never been higher. If this is changed, I will not work the extra time that is needed to perform the work. This is needed in order to make deliveries/schedules for the customers. Our customers are the soldiers. You are not maximizing my opportunities for me and my Union to contribute to the accomplishments of the mission. Instead, you are proposing to eliminate them. I can only imagine how much this concept will cost the taxpayer for this design and administration of it. The money would be better spent on equipping the soldiers. How much overhead is going to be created since nobody has figured out all the details of it? You can simplify job descriptions without NSPS. I have not seen nor read any rationale from DoD of why you need these changes. I cannot understand how my classification or pay has affected national security. DoD will be the prosecutor, judge, and jury without allowing a neutral third party review. The current system should remain in effect. I should never be disallowed to see or use my Union representative. The system should be that all employees are entitled to due process and fairness which this proposal will destroy. The system is already in place so that management can take the necessary actions against a poor performer or misconduct. If managers are not doing their job with dealing with those employees, then the manager should be dealt with. My only recourse for disciplinary actions will be either EEO or my Congressman. I am not the enemy! I am providing a service to the warfighter (soldier) and would like to be able to concentrate on that. Congress mandated the employees be treated fairly and afforded the protections of due processes, yet, your proposals all but eliminate that. If these proposals are implemented “as is,” I will become a second-class citizen because all of my rights will be removed. NSPS is doing the exact opposite of what our government is trying to promote around the globe. You should not tell other countries to give more rights to the people, then take away rights from your own governments employees. As long as I have known my husband, James Hunter, he has always been a part of a union representation, and I feel that the government is violating his rights and taking away his privileges as a citizen. Sincerely,