More On Those Wretched Federal Employee Salaries….

So the USA Today reports that federal employees received double the salary of private sector employees.  Betcha never felt so rich?  (But when was the last time you actually paid for a copy of the USA Today?)   Obviously this is not the first time federal employee pay has been misrepresented in the media or even in the halls of Congress. 

Despite NTEU’s best efforts, USA Today did not use relevant data that was provided, which would have portrayed an accurate picture.  NTEU was in touch with the reporter before the story even ran.  It provided him with correct information and shared facts and figures that represent the true story on federal pay.  The reporter chose not to use that information and instead relied on data that was guaranteed to distort federal pay.

Interestingly, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), which produced the data that USA Today used, acknowledges on its web site that using the data to compare federal sector compensation with that of the private sector will provide distorted results.  BEA explains why in clear language.  NTEU shared that information with the reporter.

What provides a clearer picture of the disparity between the federal and private sectors is data which the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects.  The Federal Salary Council and the President’s Pay Agent use this data and actually compares ‘like jobs’ in various geographic areas.  That data shows that federal employees are paid an average of 22% less than that of their private-sector counterparts.  NTEU also shared this data with the USA Today reporter.

Federal employees make considerable contributions to our country, and our pay should not be a political matter.  Most federal workers could earn more money in the private sector, but have chosen to serve the American public because the work is challenging, interesting, and in the long-run it does make a difference.  NTEU will continue to speak out against these gross misrepresentations of federal pay. 

If you got a copy of the USA Today delivered free to your hotel room today, then you got what you paid for.    

Good Bye STARS -- We Hardly Knew You.

Almost from inception, the Large Bank scheduling software STARS has been a failure waiting to be recognized.   At last, STARS (essentially a duplicative system of NRPT) has finally received its due recognition. 

On July 30th, LBS announced its decision to transition to NRPT after recognizing that STARS could “not be remediated to provide the desired benefits to LBS in a timely and cost effective manner.”  The message continued “NRPT satisfies the majority of LBS business requirements and was more intuitive and simpler than STARS.  This decision is consistent with a long term CBS objective to have a common system to support supervisory strategy development and resource sharing within and between LBS and MCBS.”  What a concept…apparently this revelation did not exist three or four years ago.

This decision comes as no surprise to frontline LBS employees, who witnessed early demonstrations of STARS in mid-2008 and quickly discerned that the system had no usable scheduling function and was therefore essentially worthless.  Large bank employees, including LB EICs, have long complained about the lack of tangible benefit from a labor intensive process that did little more than tie up limited resources and effectively remove personnel from bank supervision.  Still, for two painful years this process continued.  

While the selection or use of a system of record may or may not be a union issue, NTEU attempted to bring this problem to management’s attention at numerous LMRC meetings and through emails to senior management. And while NTEU supports the decision to abandon this software as duplicative and costly, we wonder if the same revelatory logic will ever be applied to WISDM and EV.

Going on Vacation?  Out of the Country?  Leave That Laptop at Home!

Every once in a while, as we get farther removed from policy issuances, we like to throw out some helpful reminders.  For the most part, everything we do with our OCC equipment is common sense.  Unfortunately, most of the detailed policies and guidance are usually developed in response to the few who fail to exercise that. 

On January 22, 2009, Roger Mahach (Chief Information Security Officer) issued a policy memorandum (MM2009-1): General Standards and Prohibited Uses of OCC Information Technology.  This replaced two OCC News postings and an unnumbered memorandum, all issued by the previous agency CIO, which had been used as policy up to that point.  This issuance is detailed and clear cut.  Issued concurrently was PPM 4000-4: Appropriate Use of OCC Information Technology.  You can access both documents through the OCC intranet.

There are just two things that we want to emphasize relative to these issuances:

1. Policy is very clear about taking your OCC computer out of the country:

MM2009-1: 1.0.13 Employees may only take OCC IT out of the country with the approval of their supervisor. Contractors are prohibited from taking any OCC IT out of the country. In order to limit sensitive data exposure, the ITS Technical Assistance Center offers the option of temporarily assigned devices for international travelers.

And so there is no confusion, this includes taking the computer with only your ‘secondary hard drive’ (formerly known as your ‘personal drive’).  That is, even if you leave your OCC hard drive at home, you still cannot take the laptop out of the country without permission.  And also to be clear, Canada is out of the country.

2. The ‘secondary hard drive’ is NOT a substitute for a personal computer.

This drive is most simply put, a work/life accommodation.  Many examiners are on the road extensively and may often have to conduct business, which may exceed what policy would describe for the OCC hard drive as ‘limited personal use’.  So that you do not have to lug around a second computer when travelling, the agency extends these secondary drives to those who request them. 

However, this does not extend to use on personal vacations.  That is, even if you travel without your OCC hard drive on a vacation, taking your OCC laptop on vacation with you can be construed as an inappropriate use of OCC Information Technology.  This would be true even if you rationalize that you are checking OCC email.  Your vacation is not authorized OCC business. 

On a practical level, this might never be an issue…..until your laptop is stolen out of your Waikiki hotel room.  So, if all you want to do is check email, bring your own personal computer on vacations.  Then, with regards to OCC property, there will never be an issue.

Bottom line, If you’re going out of the country or just going on vacation anywhere, turn on your ‘out of office assistant’, leave that OCC computer behind, and enjoy your trip.  The agency will still be there when you return.   

Transit Subsidy May Go Down

Some employees could see their monthly commuter benefits cut nearly in half, unless Congress acts this year to extend a Recovery Act provision.  The current limit of $230 a month could go back to $120 a month once that provision expires on December 31^st.  Meanwhile drivers need not worry as flex fund parking benefits will remain at $230 a month, regardless of whether Congress acts.

As always we want to hear your feedback, good, bad or indifferent. Write us at this website.

A seat at the table, professionalism and fair and equitable treatment of employees…union values that you can count on (through out the year)!!!