| Comment Number: | OL-10506732 |
| Received: | 3/12/2005 6:35:35 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:
A tragedy waiting to happen that is how I view this entire regulation! First of all let me say that I am ashamed at how difficult that this entire process of informing the workforce has been made by management at several installations. There are bases where large numbers of employees do not have access to computers and unions have not been allowed access to employees to better inform them of the provisions of NSPS. In a time of war why is it necessary to change the personnel system? Seems to me that is the time for clear thinking and some semblance of uniformity. Streamling? More efficiency? Those are not reasons, they are just pure and simple hopes that this system will work. Especially seeing that NSPS has never been tried before. In reality it will kill the morale of the Civil Service workforce, and unfortunately seeing as morale is such a contagious beast it will have negative impacts on our military members as well. Deployment of employees is ludicrous. Its one thing to have an employee who volunteers, quite another to send an unwilling employee with little or no notice. I personally know of many employees who own businesses and have financial interests that will be negatively impacted by this. What about those with medical problems or medical problems in their families are we going to deploy them without respect for how it might affect their lives. Performance is important! Under the RIF proposal using performance as top criteria now thats wrong! Seniority and Veterans Preference are far more important. Besides didn't I earn my seniority and veterans preference through performance? Must have or I wouldn't have been employed in the first place. There are many workplaces where employees don't see their immediate supervisor for more than a few minutes a day. How in these cases can fair and unbiased performance appraisals be written? Answer is they can't, appraisals are written based on hearsay and supposition. Performance also pits employee against employee, certainly not healthy when you are trying to foster teamwork. It will foster possible instances of violence in the workplace, favoritism and nepotism. In reading the regulation numerous times I kept running across one term again and again, "impending issuances". This reference deeply disturbs me. I guess that myself and my co-workers are not permitted to comment on these yet to be made plans? Seems rather DICTATORIAL to me!! What bargaining rights and what protections for representatives? The regulation makes it sound like stewards are thugs. Where are my protections against reprisal if I am performing union duties ? I dont recall seeing any guarantees. Where are the guarantees on premium pays such as Sunday and night differential, holiday pay, hazardous duty pays. Are these open to negotiation or will they be shoved down our collective throats also. Why is flexitime being changed? Why is overtime being changed?Why do we need to change pay? Why invoke a system that promotes favoritism? Job classifications will be to broadbased and all encompassing, potentially creating situations where safety will become and issue. Probationary periods are not fair, and as there as been no definitive information on their length its difficult to coment on specifics Adverse actions is unfair especially the part that speaks of disallowing of representation. Appeals and Labor Management include loads of potential union busting rhetoric. DoD should not create an agency dominated dispute board. Federal Civil Service employees Should at a minimum: Continue to receive the same yearly pay increases. Continue to receive the same credit for seniority and veterans preference that they receive now. Be able to appeal any performance ratings. Keep the same Layoff/RIF rules. Keep the same processes governing adverse actions. Keep grievance and collective bargaining rights as they are now.