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Federal News & Commentary
FLRA Schedules Summer Town Hall Meetings
The Federal Labor Relations Authority’s (FLRA’s) Office of General Counsel (OGC) will hold a series of summer Town Hall meetings in each of its Regional Office cities, General Counsel Julia Akins Clark announced today (May 16). These public meetings will provide an introduction to OGC ’s information and training resources, an FLRA Unfair Labor Practice and Representation case law update, and a Question and Answer session with the General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel and Regional Director. As an added bonus, local Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service representatives will introduce their services, including specialized training and facilitation services aimed at improving labor management cooperative relationships.
DAILY NEWS BRIEF: Friday, May 11
Senate expands whistleblower protections for feds
The Senate has approved a measure to expand protections for federal whistleblowers. The bill will protect feds who report wrongdoing at their agencies and will ideally help prevent government waste and mismanagement. The bill would cover the Transportation Security Administration employees for the first time and also give workers in the intelligence community new whistleblower rights. Read more at Federal News Radio
House Armed Services Committee passes defense bill for FY13
The House Armed Services Committee passed a $642 billion defense bill for FY13. The legislation ignored the Pentagon’s call for an additional round of BRAC and proposes $3 billion more in Defense spending than the Obama administrations budget proposal. The House is expected to vote on the legislation next week. The Senate’s version of the legislation will be significantly different because the Senate is sticking to the spending levels set by the Budget Control Act. Read more at Federal News Radio // Govexec
House passes reconciliation act
The House has approved H.R. 5652, “Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012. This reconciliation legislation cancels the $98 billion in sequestration cuts in order to prevent reductions to defense spending. The legislation replaces the sequester cuts with a $19 billion reduction in the discretionary spending caps for FY13 with approximately $328 billion in new savings over 10 years from mandatory spending. This legislation includes the Oversight and Government Reform Committee recommendation to require employees in both CSRS and FERS to contribute an additional 5% of salary toward their pensions. The measure passed the House 218-199. Read more at Govexec
House passes Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2013
The House has passed HR 5326, Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013, by a vote of 247-163. The measure would provide about $51.1 billion in discretionary spending. The legislation would boost funding for the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology but slightly trim funding for NASA. It also would cut funding for grants to state and local law enforcement agencies while generally providing increases for federal law enforcement agencies. The legislation faces a veto threat from the White House because it strays from spending levels set by the 2011 Budget Control Act (PL 112-25).
NAGE Honors Our Dedicated Public Servants
NAGE is proud to recognize and thank our public servants across the country as we celebrate Public Service Recognition Week May 6-12.
Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) is a time to honor the men and women who serve our nation as federal, state, county and local government employees and who ensure that our nation continues to be the best in the world. Public employees are nurses and doctors caring for our veterans. They are police protecting our safety and freedom. They are utility workers ensuring we have clean water, electricity and other necessary services. They are fire fighters, scientists, engineers, and workers in numerous other trades and professions that work tirelessly to ensure the American people have access to the essential services we rely on daily.
In a climate where public employees are constantly under attack, our public service workers proudly and selflessly continue to show up to work in order to serve others. NAGE is proud to stand up for and to protect and serve these public servants who sacrifice for each of us every day.
It is rare that these public servants are recognized for the work they do to improve our communities, the nation and the world. Public servants deserve our thanks throughout the year, not just one week a year.
We thank our federal, state, county and local government employees with the deepest sincerity for the work they do each and every day.
FLRA Offers Online Training on Rights, Obligations under Labor-Management Relations Statute
The Office of General Counsel (OGC) of the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) announced that its web-based interactive basic statutory training on rights and obligations under the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (Statute) is now available online. The training, which the FLRA unveiled at a Town Hall Webinar broadcast from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on April 26, 2012, is a comprehensive course of nine lessons on the structure and functioning of the FLRA and the legal requirements of the Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) provisions of the Statute.
You can access the training by going to www.hru.gov and clicking on "Course Catalog," then "FLRA Basic Statutory Training." You can then set up an account using your Federal employee email address.
NAGE Mourns Passing of Local Leader and National Executive Board Member Vincent Fong
NAGE is deeply saddened by the passing of our dear brother, former Local President and 
National Executive Board Member, Vincent Fong. On April 27, 2012, Vince succumbed to a terminal illness after a long and courageous battle.
"Vince was a truly good, decent man," said National President David Holway. "He was always smiling, always upbeat, and always so good to people, whether they were close friends or new acquaintances. I'm very saddened by his passing, and I think I speak on behalf of the entire executive board when I say that his absence will be deeply felt at our meetings. He touched so many people. We offer our sincerest thoughts and prayers to Vince's family and friends." Read more >>
NAGE Air Force Labor-Management Newsletter Now Available
As explained previously, Christina Fuentes, NAGE Federal Representative for the Department of Navy and the Department of Air Force, will be distributing monthly newsletters summarizing the major policy issues discussed at the components' monthly labor/management forums. The newsletters are a valuable tool for keeping you informed about your agency while also notifying members of deadlines for personnel related matters that result from policy discussions at the forum. The newsletters will be added to the website following each monthly partnership forum meeting. The first issue of the Air Force newsletter is now available, along with the previously published Navy newsletter.
View the April Air Force Labor-Management Partnership Newsletter (pdf)
View the March Department of Navy Labor-Management Partnership Newsletter (pdf)
Hatch Act Training Video Now Available
With elections just around the corner, political campaigns are kicking into high gear and it's nearly impossible to go through a day without a friend or colleague engaging in discussions about candidates, caucuses, and party nominations.
As a federal employee, it's critical for you to be aware of and understand the Hatch Act. The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that prohibits federal employees (except the President and the Vice President) in the executive branch of the federal government from engaging in certain partisan political activity. The Office of Special Counsel enforces the Hatch Act and can impose penalties of anywhere from a 30-day suspension without pay, to termination, for employees who violate the Hatch Act.
NAGE has developed a brief training video to introduce our members to the Hatch Act. You can find the video and additional resources at NAGE University.
Go to NAGE University to watch the video
Web-Based Video and Interactive Training Available on Executive Order 13522
For all interested federal employees, free web-based video and interactive training is now available on Executive Order 13522. The training covers the development of metrics for labor-management forums as a part of implementing Executive Order 13522.
The Executive Order was signed by President Obama in December 2009 and calls for Federal agencies to work together with employees and unions to improve the delivery of high quality services to the American people. The order also created the National Council on Federal Labor-Management Relations; NAGE National President David J. Holway was appointed to the Council by President Obama.
You can view the training on YouTube, or participate in interactive training on OPM's HR University website. The interactive training is available to all Federal employees who have a government email address. Once a user sets up his/her HR University account at www.hru.gov, select "Course Catalogue" to locate the link to the "Executive Order 13522" Training.
Take Advantage of Training
Opportunities! VA Announces Online Courses in Labor-Management
Relations
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the launch of
important web-based curriculum on Executive Order 13522. The
"Introduction to Creating Labor-Management Forums: A Strategy for
Improving Labor-Management Relations and Productivity at VA" describes
how labor-management relations will be conducted at VA and defines
expectations for collaboration between the VA and its labor partners
under the new Executive Order 13522.
Courses are free and available to all NAGE VA members.
View the course list and information for accessing the courses online
