From the Washington Post:
… AFGE leaders criticized officials [at Social Security] for continuing to act like Trump’s anti-union edicts remain in effect, despite Biden’s policies to the contrary.
“You still have those holdovers from the previous administration,” Kelley told reporters, “that just don't want to give up any form of authority.”
Social Security officials continue to pursue an “aggressive anti-union/anti-employee bargaining approach … undoubtedly directed by the Trump orders,” said an email from Rich Couture, AFGE’s spokesman on Social Security.
Among the current Social Security polices Couture cited as “antithetical” to Biden’s agenda are “draconian official time cuts” and the “elimination and reduction of union office space nationwide, which similarly limits our ability to represent and access employees, especially now with reentry at agency installations now starting.” Official time allows union leaders to represent workers in limited ways, such as grievance procedures, while on government time.
A Social Security statement said it “complied with all of the administration’s labor policies and is fully committed to positive relations with our labor partners. Last year, we offered to renegotiate major provisions of our collective bargaining agreements with all three of our unions. Two of our unions accepted and we are currently in contract negotiations with them. AFGE did not accept that offer and is pursuing arbitration to revoke the entire 2019 contract.” …
10 comments:
SSA and AFGE are clueless. So, not surprised the negotiations are going nowhere.
"hoteling" is a complete disaster. just a big middle finger from the agency to staff.
@9:18am Agreed. SSA does not care nearly enough about the health and safety of its customers (the public) or its employees. There will most likely be lawsuits galore against management at SSA when people get ill from COVID because of management's failures.
Exactly. “Hoteling” was the agency’s response to having to allow telework 2 days per week. The agency is doing everything it can to make telework unappealing and in many cases punitive. Way to go SSA.
By the way, I’m not a fan of the union either. They are good a making workable situations unworkable by refusing to be flexible.
The public are the biggest losers of this bogus relationship. It also makes the work environment at SSA the worst I’ve ever been a part of in all my life.
@2:24 pm Exactly correct. The public loses out due to the folks at SSA and AFGE who seem to forget the public is supposed to be served well. And, the work environment at SSA is atrocious. Nothing short of a complete overhaul of SSA is needed to give the service to the public that it deserves. SSA has lost its way and there seems to be no hope of that changing any time soon.
1:06 I bet good cash money there will not be anything filed, because they would have to prove the only spot on the Earth that they were exposed was at work. With restrictions lifted across the country there is no chance whatsoever of an suit being approved. Nice try, but as usual at least two years behind the times.
@8:17am You are wrong. Folks just need to be exposed to a co-worker or member of the public who has COVID and there will be lawsuits. Guaranteed. You obviously don't understand how the legal system works.
Sovereign immunity, qualified immunity, etc. No lawsuits.
I don’t know about what goes into a lawsuit like that per se’…however, I have managed to avoid contracting COVID for duration of this pandemic.
It would be very frustrating to catch it from being back in the office around co-workers and the general public. Both of which can have questionable hygiene regimens.
It would almost be like being forced to be exposed in a way.
6:45 and now you know how so many others that have had no choice and were once lauded as "essential" have felt for two years.
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