From Government Executive:
The Social Security Administration is again embroiled in a spat with one of its labor unions, this time over the agency’s plans to bring employees back to physical work sites. ...
Rich Couture, president of AFGE Council 215, which represents Office of Hearing Operations employees, and chief negotiator for AFGE on the agency’s reentry plan, said much of the holdup comes down to the agency’s insistence that all reentry negotiations take place at the national level and the agency’s reentry plan is too vague, given the myriad of job descriptions and working conditions across the agency. ...
“AFGE has got around 45,000 bargaining unit employees spread across virtually every component of SSA,” he said. “The positions and work they do, whether they see the public or not, and the functions that each of these components serve are very, very different, and even within the components you have subcomponents and divisions where the work can be different. There’s not a one-size-fits-all approach we can take with how the reentry process will operate, proceed and affect employees based on their position and the work they do.”
Couture said that making negotiations more difficult is distrust over whether the agency is being transparent about its plans. Union officials suspect that the agency actually has more specific reentry plans for each of its components, but is simply withholding that information in order to gain an upper hand in bargaining. ...
“SSA has been completely transparent with the labor unions representing our employees and informed them that there is only one agency-wide reentry plan, which applies to all SSA components,” [Darren] Lutz [a Social Security spokesperson] said, “The resumption of a limited, finite number of in-person hearings for certain aged cases to be conducted by non-bargaining unit administrative law judges is distinct from the agency-level reentry plan and it is not part of reentry for bargaining unit employees.” ...
In a Dec. 17 letter to Kijakazi, AFGE National President Everett Kelley escalated the issue, citing the acting director's desire for a “reset” in labor-management relations at the agency, expressed in a conversation last month.
“In the weeks since that conversation, I am sorry to say that labor relations at SSA have not improved at all, either in tone or in substance,” Kelley said. “Collective bargaining over reentry has been characterized by a lack of transparency, unfounded accusations of delays on the part of the union, and perhaps most concerning, an apparent refusal to engage in bargaining reentry at either the component or local level in spite of the fact that circumstances surrounding reentry vary so much both in terms of operational considerations as well as community transmission data.” ...
Let's state the obvious. The union wants Social Security offices closed FOREVER. They want their employees to work from home FOREVER. They have zero concern for what that would mean for the public. They want reopening stalled FOREVER by endless negotiations. There are real public health threats that need to be dealt with but what the union wants to accomplish goes well beyond any legitimate public health concerns.
The union needs to get realistic. The public isn't going to tolerate keeping Social Security offices shuttered forever. Democrats are sympathetic to unions in general but there are limits and I think those limits will become more and more obvious if this effort at stalling continues.
26 comments:
That is exactly right. The union cares only about full-time telework regardless of the harm to public service. Most of the union leaders haven’t actually performed agency work for years. The only thing Andrew Saul did right was attempting to eliminate telework. If you don’t want to show up for work at the office, then find a different job.
I have to clean up my desk because I read that headline and spit coffee all over laughing.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Charles I respectfully disagree with you in the strongest terms.
#1 The union has never proposed or discussed closing the offices forever.
#2 Social Security chose to negotiate at the national level. Management has presented NO REOPENING plan. No specific details on how the field offices will reopen. No specific plans to reopen the processing centers, hearing offices and DDS. The agency cannot possibly negotiate in good faith with as follows: "you will be notified when a plan is ready, here are the dates we expect you back".
SSA burned bridges with labor a long time ago.
SSA is not fulfilling the bargaining scope as the President requested.
The Union requested to expand telework when possible AND safety for the public and employees. SSA management has not showed up prepared with a plan to reopen. SSA management is unprepared and unwilling to do the hard work to safely reopen the agency. I am not involved in the negotiations, I can tell you the management in the agency is unprepared and causing the delay. People love to blame the union, look to the management who has power and do not negotiate in good faith as a source of the problem.
And finally SSA employees work hard. The characterizations of employees do not deserve a response.
There are two primary types of SS employees. Those that meet the public and those that don't
For those that don't meet the public, or even talk to the public like payment centers and upper management, it probably doesn't matter where they work although for them, with proper precautions, they could work from the offices with minimal risk.
For the bulk of employees who do meet the public, there is greater risk but the need for them to be in the office is vastly greater. From not being able to take care of varied needs to a phone system that leaves roughly half of all calls unanswered, the SSA has utterly failed in its responsibility. Provide required proof of vaccination and appropriate spacing and screening/testing at entrance and get back to the office.
Enough already.
The need for someone to be in the office does not outweigh anyone's personal safety. That's a ridiculous statement.
Having said that, the offices should be reopened at minimum on a partial basis for access to individuals with that specific need.
SSA management should recognize that there is not a one size fits all solution for reopening.
They seem to be insisting upon all of SSA reopening on a national level, with varying amounts of telework days being granted to various components.
But SSA management is unwilling to share their plans with AFGE, from what I am reading here. Why not be fully transparent? AFGE's point is well taken.
Also, AFGE has never held that telework should be continued forever for the field offices. But is this the right time to reopen, with the Omicron variant raging, with COVID cases presently higher than ever?!?
Well this blog is certainly doing well at covering the topic of ending SSA telework.
We fought for many years to achieve working from home, with management resisting every step of the way. Telework is going well, from what I see from the inside, as a SSA employee.
We can never go back to all of SSA coming into the office 5 days per week.
To do that would have dire consequences for employee morale, employee retention, and the ability for SSA to attract young people who now demand some degree of remote work. If they can't get that at SSA they will look elsewhere.
Even if the FO are reopened after COVID abates, I think FO employees should at least get 2 days per week of telework. Being a CR/CS in a FO , is a difficult, complex, and stressful job.
If it were only so easy to require proof of vaccination but it is now a political issue and fake cards are regularly available.
Those line jobs (not management) that have no public contact should be able to work at home 100% of the time, permanently. It is called job/life balance.
Managers and public facing employees should be able to work from home on a frequent and regular basis, but the offices need to be properly staffed.
The phone issue is ridiculous. I propose that we follow the model of some major corporations and have phone operators well trained, not so severely time limited and be able to work from home.
What the Agency saves on facilities can be used to hire and properly train new employees.
Cross train all the employees. I have no idea what other divisions actually do. SSA takes stovepiping to an whole other level.
Safely distance visitors to the offices by all means, but stop treating reps and the public that we serve with disdain and suspicion.
On the other hand, Charles your frustration is palpable and understandable. However, stop blaming the Union. It is an unfortunate fact that for four long miserable years Agency management really endorsed sadistic tactics and ENJOYED it. Some of those people are still there influencing the process and are purposefully mucking up the works. The ACOSS means well but she needs to sweep out the vermin or neutralize them. But it is hard for an acting to take such actions.
It is not the union mucking things up.
No one seems to be talking about the risk for people going through a health crisis of one kind or another to come into the office in person to file for disability or take care of other business. It's irresponsible to not provide adequate phone services for these people. Risking your life to come in person to file for disability is crazy risky.
I am not anti-union. But they some times overstay their use.
Unions are important to make sure employers do not forever torment employees. But employees have to have some dedication to their service.
I am not sure when OHO will open. But my hunch is it will be the last to open considering many of the claimants are susceptible to Covid.
I just hope they fix the check-in process at waiting rooms in OHOs. We need some sort of open air check-in waiting for the hearings. Then, we can shuffle in claimants into the hearing rooms.
SSA should not make long term decisions about telework based on pandemic decision making. What do the customers want? Are they happy with limited field office in-office service? Excessive telework is detrimental for long term success. SSA cannot function as a high turnover career. The jobs are too complex. What about new people? Are they really getting adequate training and understanding of our customers and our culture with telework? This is way bigger than - I like telework so we should get to do it. SSA needs to think of customers and service first. If telework can work within needed service demands, that's great. But currently all we hear within SSA and in the private sector is telework makes me feel better so I should be able to do it. How did we become such a namby pamby country that we decide to put out own self interest over that of our employers and customers. Long term SSA and this country will suffer by pandering to self interest. The private sector will figure it out. Sadly government is slow to react. So, in summary, we should not make long term decisions based on pandemic solutions.
I’ve had video hearings with six different reps where the claimants had to go into their office because they didn’t have consistent internet service. Five of the six had their clients in separate rooms within their offices or homes to limit exposure to one another. I guess they’re just soft. Or don’t work with the public. Or reactionary.
The belief that unions want offices closed and to have 100% telework is absurd. They mostly want to ensure that management isn’t going to reopen half-cocked and without a reasonable, competent plan. It may not seem like much to ask, but if you’ve seen how things have been handled over the years, it’s a crapshoot at best.
When Did we start putting our own self interests over our employees and customers? Well, I work for SSA and they don’t give a damn about me. I’m expendable right? Good, so if they don’t care about me why would I care what they want or make it easy for them to screw me. I do my job and I do it as well as I can given what resources I’m provided. That is all…it’s an exchange for money, nothing more nothing less. There are no feelings involved and it’s not a “family”.
As for the claimants…again, I do my job the best I can. They wanna throw it at me that they pay my salary, cool, guess what, I pay my salary too. There are no
I’m vaccinated and got my boaster. I’m not in the union and couldn’t care less what they do. When they do reopen the offices, I’ll be returning, no complaining. If I could retire instead, I certainly would.
This whole issue is on the agency. The employees have absolutely no say on any of it.
So relax, and try to enjoy the holidays.
5:57, I can't figure out what your priorities are here: "Excessive telework is detrimental for long term success. SSA cannot function as a high turnover career. The jobs are too complex. What about new people? Are they really getting adequate training and understanding of our customers and our culture with telework?"
I understand the arguments against telework. But how does scaling back telework address your concern about SSA becoming a "high turnover career?"
This is relevant to the debate about reopening:
https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/return-office-paused-again-covid-155401070.html
See folks, this isn't an SSA issue.
The agency is stalling because they believe that when the winter/omicron surge subsides, there will be very little political will to support any public-facing employees teleworking more that a day or two a week.
The union doesn't want offices closed. With telework there are less complaints. Then what use is the union.
get back to the office. Most of America is working at the office. do your jobs, face the public or quit.
We have been hearing this sentiment for over a year. The offices are open for critical needs and, what do you know, life goes on.
7:24 I'm doing my SSA job well from home. I'm lucky to have a job that can be done well from home.
Speaking of quitting, perhaps if you are that jealous of those whose job is comparable with home work, you should quit your job and work for SSA.
Again, this isn't an issue specific to SSA and SSA is hardly the only employer tapping the brakes on bringing employees back into the office:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/omicron-variant-leaves-employers-uncertain-110000132.html
Police, fire, and grocery store workers stayed on the job throughout the pandemic, or resigned. Teachers and hairdressers also returned. Even dentists have returned, at least for emergencies.
What makes SS agents so _special_ that no amount of accommodation is adequate to return to office, even in limited numbers?
People are losing places to live, money for health care, money for food all because SS requires in-person meetings in some cases, but then can't find a way to meet with them despite all the aforementioned categories of workers managing to do so. They require originals of vital documents be mailed in, but then can't process them. Shame on them.
Sure is funny that SSA all but tore up the last contract, bulldozed AFGE in the last negotiations, was found by the federal government itself to have engaged in unfair labor practices, presented AFGE with take-it-or-leave-it before even sitting down to negotiate, repeatedly sent emails to employees all but screaming the subtext IT'S THE UNION'S FAULT,.,....
and yet this website assumes and states that AFGE are the ones acting on bad faith.
Yes, SSA should re-open. But it shouldn't go back the old days of shoulder-to-shoulder petri dish lobbies either. AFGE's literal reason for existence is to protect SSA employees against an agency that has proven it would happily sacrifice 10% of its workforce if it meant meeting the CDR goal and kicking more of your clients off the rolls, Charles.
There's blame a plenty to go around. Shame you only seem interested recently in pointing it at one side.
One side is harming the people of the country.
@1019. Agree offices should be open but other than SS5s and resurrection cases, what else requires in person interviews?
An EM issued in March 2020 made it possible to process most claims without the actual documents being sent to offices.
That's a very simple-minded way of looking at things. One side is protecting the interests and safety of SSA employees. The anti-labor sentiment in this country is bassakwards.
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