"NTEU: Building a Stronger America" - 2015 - Washington, DC

Representatives of NTEU chapters from all over the country have arrived in DC for the 2015 Legislative Conference.  The theme this year is NTEU:  Building a Stronger America.  Today there was an plenary session, hosted and addressed by President Colleen Kelley.  Among the speakers were Senator Mazie Hirono and NTEU National Vice President Tony Reardon.  Major issues queued up for NTEU members this year include the following items that have a direct impact upon our NTEU280 members: 

• Sequestration and Agency Funding.  You may recall that there was a Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 that provided temporary relief covering FY14 and FY15.  But absent further action, sequestration is here to stay through 2021 and we could start feeling its sting anew in FY16, when the temproary relief ends.  Therefore, NTEU continues its call to end the sequestration.    
• Federal Employee Pay.  As we are all painfully aware, over the past five calendar years, Federal employees have received only two 1% pay raises, in 2014 and 2015.  (For 2011-2013, there was no adjustment at all to the pay scale.)  There has been no change to locality pay for the past five calendar years.  At the opening address, President Colleen Kelley explained how and why NTEU supports a 3.8% pay raise for 2016.  This modest amount would both take a step towards a more "normal" pay raise and would also address the lagging locality pay.
• Federal Retirement.  Twenty-five years ago, FERS replaced CSRS.  Although from an employee perspective, FERS is less generous than the "old" CSRS system, FERS has achieved its stated goals of being both sound and funded.  Many of us may not realize this, but newer employees have faced "tweaks" to FERS effective December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2013, respectively, and that these "tweaks" have resulted in them paying more for their retirement benefits than those of us hired before those dates.  An employee hired after December 31, 2012, pays 2.3% more of their salary towards retirement benefits.  And, as of December 31, 2013, that amount bumped up by an additional 1.3%, which means that the newest hires are paying 3.6% more for their retirement benefits.  This devaluation of retirement benefits affects recruitment and retention efforts by agencies. 
• Employee Rights in the Federal Workplace.   Most government employees, including those in our bargaining unit, have due process and contractual rights that protect them should management decide to take an adverse action against them.  These due process and contractual rights are valuable as they may protect an employee who, in the course of doing his or her duty, points out ("blows the whistle") waste or other wrongdoing.  These rights also help to ensure that personnel actions are done correctly and are carried out lawfully.  Maintaining employee rights maintains the integrity of government service. 

Although not directly related to our agency, there is a serious issue that directly affects our sister Chapters in CBP.  At the opening address, President Kelley pointed out that DHS was not funded for all of FY15 with the rest of  our agencies - and that their funding, frozen at FY14 levels, only runs through February 27th. Therefore, time is running out to address their budget and avoid a lapse in funding. 

President Kelley reported that the regulations for phased retirement have now happened, and that now NTEU is focusing on getting agencies to actually implement them.  She also spoke about the recent Presidential instruction regarding parental leave and NTEU's focus on moving that issue forward. 

In her opening address, President Kelley welcomed representatives from some newer NTEU Chapters, including those at Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the National Park Service in the National Capital Area.  There is strength in numbers.