| Comment Number: | OL-10511944 |
| Received: | 3/16/2005 6:42:57 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 all DoD employees. Subpart C Pay, Section 9901.301 to 9901.373: The employees in DOD should continue to recieve the same annual pay across the board adjustments that other GS/FWS workers recieve. The individual pay increases for performce 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, 9901.401 to 9901.409 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, 9901.6012 to 9901.409 DOD should not change the current layoff/RIF rules which give balance credit to performance and the employees valuable years of committed service to DOD. Subpart G Adverse Actions, 9901.701 to 9901.810 Due process and fairness demand that the independent body that review a major suspension or 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, 9901.901 to 9901.929 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. People have some faith in the current system. There is a belief that they will be heard and that rules are in place to insure that things will be done in a FAIR manner. People will not have this FAIR feeling with NSPS. Each individual will have to make the best deal with the BOSS. People's concerns, expressed through their union will not be heard. People not being heard at the Company dominated dispute board. The cut throat world of employee verses employee competing for the boss's favor to recieve the golden carrot called Pay for Performance. This dog eat dog workplace will not attract the best and the brightest but the worst. People will move on to agencies that have some fair rules or get out. Half of all DOD employees can retire in the next 5 years. Many of them have said I will get out before this happens. You are looking to lose thousands of years of experiance walking out the door at a time we can least afford this. We are at war and we need these people and their knowledge. DOD needs to leave in the safeguards that will assure people that they have a voice in the workplace. That their pay raises will be based on their performance and not how the boss FEELS about them. That the system is fair and if there are any misunderstanding they will get a fair hearing. That unions maintain their right place in the workplace. The unions have had a chance to review changes and can stand side by side with management and assure the workers that this change is OK. People need those safeguards or they will fell they need to take those matters into their own hands and that is when it will be ugly. Let people concentrate on their work and the mission. Leave a system that gives assurances to the workforce that things are FAIR.