| Comment Number: | EM-019793 |
| Received: | 3/9/2005 5:43:30 PM |
| 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 9, 2005 DoD NSPS Comments , DoD NSPS Comments: I am a Federal Aviation Administration employee. What happened to us is now about to happen to our co-workers at DoD. And that VERY MUCH CONCERNS ME AS AN AMERICAN. American Federal Workers are NOT the enemy. I am angry that these proposals seem to treat the employees who help defend our country as the enemy. Most DoD employees work hard and are committed. I believe that mistreating the employees will hurt the agency?s mission. I am very upset by NSPS. This system will change the way workers are paid, evaluated, promoted, fired, scheduled, and treated. These rules would create a system in which federal managers are influenced by favoritism rather than serving the civil concerns of the American people. Annual Pay Raises Under the General Schedule and FWS, employee pay was clear. It was funded by Congress and could not be taken away. However, NSPS will take away this certainty. Salaries and bonuses are funded by DoD. In the past ? as recently as just last year ? DoD did not fund its awards program. In FAA, we also were told "Don't worry, the new pay system will pay you at least as well as the GS system". It was a lie, and now employees no longer trust their managers. In FAA, the "SCI", or Superior Contribution Increase", has adopted a new nickname by employees. It is the "Stroke the Commandant increase", and is awarded to those who are working outside duty hours to wash the bosses car, given to the best brown-nose of the boss, etc. This system will force workers to compete with one another for pay raises, which destroys teamwork, increases conflict among employees. There is no guarantee that even the best workers will receive a pay raise or that the pay offered will be fair or competitive. This system will create a situation in which workers are in conflict with one another and afraid to speak out about harassment, violations of the law, and workplace safety problems. Furthermore, there will be no impartial appeal system to assure that everyone is treated fairly. Schedules and Overtime NSPS will allow managers to schedule employees to work without sufficient advance notice of schedule changes. This will make it extremely difficult for working parents to care for their children and family. It will also mean that abusive managers could harass employees with bad schedules or short notice. Overtime rotations can be canceled, which means that employees may not be able to plan adequately for childcare and other important responsibilities. Civilian Deployment Federal employees could be assigned anywhere in the world, even into a war zone, with little or no notice. Public employees are proud to serve our country, but they are also responsible for caring for their families and personal obligations. America is at war. We are fighting for democracy abroad. But these regulations are an attack on workers? basic rights. Furthermore, NSPS will divert the attention of defense workers from the soldiers? welfare to protecting themselves from abuse on the job. I urge you to force DoD to rethink this proposal. We need work rules that preserve fairness, serve the American people, and respect the rights of Defense Department workers. Look- I will put it simply- America's federal workers feel the Bush Administration has declared war on them. We are NOT the enemy, and should not be treated as such. I am sad at the way workers are being treated, and I ask you to stop this dismanteling of 100 years of worker right. Or,. as an alterantive, give the federal worker the right to strike. Sincerely,