| Comment Number: | OL-10501223 |
| Received: | 2/24/2005 10:51:41 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:
23 February 2005 After consideration and research concerning the implementation of the new National Security Personnel System (NSPS) system planned for the U.S. Department of Defense workforce, I am compelled to write to you concerning my analysis on this subject. I have worked for the U.S. Department of the Army for the past five and a half years, and although it can be argued that the Civil Service Reform Act CSRA of 1978 is in need of some reform, my assessment is that the NSPS system as proposed will be harmful rather than beneficial to our country and to those who are federal DOD employees. I believe that this new system will eliminate current rights of workers by reducing, if not eliminating, collective bargaining abilities of the American Federation of Government Employees AFGE union. The union has been instrumental in the past in maintaining fair wages, cost of living adjustments and a civil, reasonable working climate for employees. Rhetoric contained in the NSPS literature is indicative of plans to eliminate collective bargaining rights, and to continue to blur the lines between military and civilian positions. I am certain that if not stopped, this new personnel system will increase the number of job categories where mandatory deployment in war zones is a condition of employment for civilians, as well as military personnel. As a member of the GS-1102 Contracting workforce, I personally am well aware of such conditions for employment at specific grade levels. It is very difficult to imagine how such practices will assist the Government in obtaining and retaining 'the best and the brightest individuals', but instead seems more likely to discourage intelligent, motivated people from seeking Federal DOD employment. Recent reports in Federal news articles indicate that some Government agencies have used permanent transfers thousands of miles away from one’s home as retribution in response to differences of opinion with management on important issues such as the social security debate. Under the current GS system, the union has the ability to represent employees who feel that they have been wrongfully treated. NSPS will basically render unions ineffective, and put employees at the mercy of political agendas, and the personal agenda of their management. As an American, I would like to believe that my elected officials certainly want more for the workforce that so diligently takes care of the every day details of our Government. Free thinking has always been a cornerstone of the American people, and the Founders of our country truly believed that ours was a Government for the people, by the people, and of the people. Changes as proposed by the NSPS represent the elimination of rights previously ensured to federal DOD employees, and certainly does not seem to subscribe to this same progressive ideology. I urge you to closely review the impact that NSPS will have on the DOD workforce and the Government functioning as a whole, and re-consider it’s implementation. Barbara A. Hansen 609-748-1589 730 East Village Drive Galloway, NJ 08205