NTEU Chapter 09 Cincinnati/Dayton Unofficial

09/30/2021

HAPPY LABOR RECOGNITION WEEK!
(If you would have voted for me would have done something.)

09/09/2021

BREAKING NEWS! - President Joe Biden will announce a requirement for all executive branch employees and federal contractors to be vaccinated, part of a renewed push to quell the Covid-19 pandemic, a person familiar with the plan said. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/biden-to-sign-order-requiring-vaccines-for-federal-workers/ar-AAOgnCC?fbclid=IwAR1G2ozYBgozXNN0nujpCsYmgho9d0NbnBXVqLsBaLOKxeIRgzhZY9NdCHo

President Joe Biden will order all executive branch employees and federal contractors to be vaccinated against coronavirus, a person familiar with the matter said -- a move that stretches the administration’s authorities to new lengths as it seeks to quell the resurgent Covid-19 pandemic.

08/31/2021

MONEY!

President Biden has formally announced his plans to give civilian employees a federal pay raise next year, effective January, 1, 2022.

As expected, most civilian employees under the General Schedule will receive an average 2.7% federal pay raise in 2022, according to the alternative pay plan the president submitted to congressional leaders Friday afternoon.

Specifically, the president is recommending a 2.2% across-the-board pay raise for federal employees in 2022, with an additional 0.5% locality pay adjustment, totaling a 2.7% average increase.

As has become an annual tradition, a group of House and Senate Democrats proposed higher raises for federal employees via legislation back in January. The Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act calls for a 3.2% pay raise for civilian employees in 2022, a proposal which NTEU and other employee unions support.

“NTEU believes that a 3.2% average raise is merited in 2022, as called for in the FAIR Act legislation introduced earlier this year,” Reardon said. “We will continue to urge Congress to implement an average 2.2% increase across the board, plus a 1% boost toward locality pay.”

08/08/2021

KENTUCKY EMPLOYEES PLEASE BE AWARE: Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky represent 41% of the nation’s new hospitalizations, the CDC says, twice their share of population.

PLEASE VACCINATED OR NOT (Although you REALLY should get the shot.) BE CAREFUL. IT'S NOT OVER.

Wash hands, social distance, and mask up.

Better safe than....

08/07/2021

NTEU Requests Agencies Delay Return to Office Plans - 8/4/2021

National President Tony Reardon yesterday sent letters to the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management requesting that the federal government announce a delay in implementing any agency plans to return additional employees to the workplace due to the rise in COVID-19 cases.

“The coronavirus pandemic has laid bare the complexities of maintaining regular government operations while also protecting the health and safety of the employees who provide those services," Reardon wrote. "By far, the most successful safety protocol these last 16 months has been the federal government’s maximum telework posture, allowing tens of thousands of employees with portable work to effectively serve the American people from home.”

Reardon also applauded the efforts of the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force and suggested that a strong message from the administration pausing reentry planning would ease employee anxiety. “Delaying the return of additional employees also protects those 'essential employees' who have reported to the worksite throughout the pandemic,” Reardon added.

Agency reentry plans were due July 19. OPM has since issued updated guidance on telework, pay, travel and other considerations to help agencies plan for more federal employees returning to the office.

Please check this page in the future for more information!

08/07/2021

08/07/2021

VACCINATION STATUS INFORMATION:

Additional Information Released on Attesting to Vaccination Status

The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force today released additional guidance and a form for federal agencies to use when requesting information on an employee’s vaccination status.

There is no implementation date for the start of this process. Federal agencies will use this form and the new information as guidance in creating their own programs. NTEU will be in discussions about the implementation of this program with all the federal agencies where we represent employees as agencies craft their programs and we will engage in bargaining to the fullest extent allowed by law.

When implemented, the form will require federal employees to attest to their vaccination status and includes four options: fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, not vaccinated, decline to respond. There is no requirement for employees to share medical information or provide proof of their vaccination status.

Employees who are in the midst of getting vaccinated, not vaccinated or choose to not provide that information will have to be tested. Testing programs will be created and implemented by federal agencies, which will also pay for any costs. How testing is handled is also a topic on the table for NTEU to discuss with agencies.

The form does note penalties for attesting to false information that could include administrative action up to and including removal from federal service. Employees are able to submit new forms if their vaccination status changes.

There will be much more information to come on the vaccine and testing policy and NTEU will continue to share it as soon as we receive it.

08/05/2021

NTEU joins the AFLCIO and the entire labor community in mourning the loss of Richard Trumka. He was an influential advocate for American workers and his legacy of fighting for them will be an inspiration for labor organizations and labor leaders for years to come.

08/05/2021

BOOYAH! NTEU and IRS have reached a tentative agreement on a six-year contract that locks in expanded employee benefits and higher performance awards for frontline IRS employees across the country. This is a stark change from the previous administration's treatment of IRS personnel.

Huge Increases in Performance Awards
• Minimum funding for performance awards doubles allowing for meaningful recognition
• Maximum awards increased to $7,000
• Award for bilingual skills more than doubled to $750

Thousands More Eligible for Frequent Telework
• Customer Service Reps in AM
• Collection Representatives in ACS
• Case Advocates in TAS
• CER reviewers in AM
• Dozens of other occupations
• Mileage restriction extended from 150 miles to 200 miles, with temporary waivers available for above 200 miles

New Childcare Subsidy
• Up to $5,000 toward childcare costs for employees with total family income below $70,000
• Smaller subsidies for employees with total family income between $70,000 and $90,000

Expanded Use of Hardship Reassignments
• Reassignments for employees with serious medical conditions who need to relocate to get care or to give care to family members with serious medical conditions

Administrative Leave for Vaccinations
• Administrative leave for employees to receive the coronavirus vaccine booster, if necessary

Watch for additional details on the new contract and ratification information from your local chapter.



The contract, once ratified, will be a historic achievement that retains critical rights and popular workplace programs while also providing a dramatic increase in telework eligibility and a first-ever IRS childcare subsidy. This agreement was reached after months of bargaining where employees were well represented by knowledgeable NTEU chapter leaders who advocated for strong workplace changes that will enhance your work-life balance, your bank account and your rights as a federal employee.

08/01/2021

Mask up people!

If you have to report on site. Please check your surrounding for cleanliness and masks/cleaning supplies/distancing. If you feel unsafe please contact the Union Office.