Comment Number: OL-10509109
Received: 3/15/2005 12:58:28 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:

General: I believe the proposed NSPS will undermine the Civil Service and hurt the mission of the DoD employees. Subpart C Pay, Sections 9901.301 to .373: The employees in DoD should continue to receive the same annual pay across-the-board adjustment that other FS/FWS workers receive. The individual pay increases for performance should include guaranteed percentages in the regulations so that employees will understand the pay system and what their pay increase will be depending on their performance. Subpart D Performance Management-.401 to .409: In order to insure fairness and accuracy, DoD employees should be able to appeal any performance rating to an independent grievance and arbitration process like they can do now. Subpart F Workforce Shaping .6012. to .611: DoD should not change the current layoff/RIF rules which give balanced credit to performance and the employees valuable years of committed service to DoD. Subpart G Adverse Actions-.701 to .810: Due process and fairness demand that the independent body reviewing a major suspension as termination be allowed to alter the proposed penalty if they deem it to be unreasonable. The current standards approved by the courts to guide such bodies should continue to be used. Subpart I Labor/Management Relations .901 to .929: The labor management law that has governed the employees’ right to organize and engage in collective bargaining has worked well since 1978. There is no compelling reason to take away most of the collective bargaining rights or grievance rights. DoD should not create a “company dominated dispute board.” Any dispute board must be “jointly selected” by management and the Union. I feel that changing the Personnel System we now have is a slap in the face. We are working hard to support our troops that are fighting for another country to gain freedom. At the same time I feel we are losing our freedom. The morale wil be worse than ever before. People will be so concerned with losing their jobs it will affect the overall mission. I take pride in being a government employee. We have great benefits and the current system we have gives us incentive and something to look forward to. We have a great union to represent us if necessary and to lose this would be devastating. Please take a more cautious look at what is being proposed and realize this is not the answer. Sincerely, Sherry Duburg