Holiday

Well it has been a while. I have had assignments to accomplish and, of course, the Christmas holiday. I am also attempting to learn the wonderful language of French. We are going to restart talks sometime in January. It will either be on January 18, or the 24, who knows?

Well, some news. We filed a demand to bargain against the site. They were about tobring in contracted labor to conduct our work. The managers took great exception to this. Still, we sat down and talked. The Union had no problem with waht they are doing. At least for now.

The Supe will issue a document that states that all employees will take their 15 minuites out in the field. The Union will meet with the Supe to discuss this. We two issues. Obvious bathroom breaks, and, there are employees who are diabetic. These issues will be brought up in a meeting with the Supe on January 2nd. I think that the ULP's will be discussed.

We FOIA'd the site for all contracts, Memoranda of Understanding and Cooperating Agreements over the past three eyars. This will give the site the idea that the Union is very much looking into what is going on. They (Managers) will just tell what theya re doing. Notice I am not saying 'consult.' I am talking about inform. They won't do it. Click on 'Holiday' to go to the Department of Justice page on the Freedom of Information Act. It is important that every American know what their government is doing.

lastly we are starting to look into one of the Cooperating partners. The site and the Cooperatyying partners seem to have a financial deal. What I mean by this is that both seem to be giving money to the other. Is that legal? I have looked at 501 c 3, and I am confused. But it is worthy of looking into further.

Emails

Well we have dealt all around with the demand to bargain. Most of management, in their ignorance I might add, seemed to have thought that it was a grievance. They took it personally. Well, there is nothing I can do about that. Some people in another division of the site, are still nervous. So, the Prez will be composing a Freedom of Information Act request for all contracts, cooperating agreements and Memornada of Understanding that deal with work that is done by outside businesses. We will show them (The staff) that while it isn't a big deal, we will keep a sharp watch on management to show that the Union is on the job.

Heard from two independent sources that the Deputy Boss and a previous supervisor wrote e-mails to each other that contained derogatory comments of staff. I will get these e-mails if I can. The Deputy is very arrogant and is no doubt still keeping them on her computer. I want to read them

Do you know if e-mails are under FOIA? I wish someone could help on this. My work place is bad, really bad. The National Union feels that the politicians should be brought in. I am starting to see why.

Supervisor Reaction

They just don't get it. I spoke to the direct supervisor yesterday for over an hour. He just doesn't get it. This wasn't about him. It was about what is right. They cannot change the position of staff without the involvement of th Union. The direct Boss feels that he is "Just one of the guys." Well, he isn't any more. He is a boss. He cannot be "one of the guys." I believe that he really means it. I have been told that the Supe has also taken this demand to bargain very personally. he just doesn't get it either. It is simply a bargaining move. Not to flip them off. We need to know what they are planning. We are talking about people's lives here. I appreciate and will not deny management's need to guide and lead. But, they also have an obligation to keep the staff informed on any plans. These meetings went on for over an hour. I believe that they were hurt. Not only was it because they did not read the contract, it is also that they did not realize that the staff will look out for itself.

That being said, some managers have started filling us in on what is going on regarding positions. There is a memo floating around to the President of the Union that says that the fleet of cars at the site will be managed by GSA. However, this memo does not mention that there are two staff members who will lose their positions as a result of the contract. We know that this is happening because of an in house memo obtained by the Union. It is this kind of obstruction that forces the union to go to ULP again. We are not going to be kept out of the loop.

What do you think should happen?

Whoa!

Well, we have sent a demand to bargain to the boss. He and the other two bosses, the Chief and the Direct Supe, are treating it like a 9/11 attack. They feel that it was a personal attack. I seriously doubt if they had read the Collective Bargaining agreement. Had a long conversation with the Chief after work yesterday. He kept saying we should have ghone to him. Well, maybe. But he did not come to us. Understand, there is a great deal of suspicion and distrust that goes on here. Staff and Union are very nervous about the potential to contract out the jobs on the site. The fact that there has been no message from anyone abouit why there is contracting and how far it will go, has any only fcuieled the suspicions. The Union, rightly, issued the demand to bargain only to be informed. Management isn't communicating. Hopefully, this will make them sit down and explain, not necessarily consult, what is going to happen to us.

Contracting Out

The Prez just told me today that the Super is contracting out part of my job to an outside source! First thing Tuesday, The prez will issue a demand to bargain. I seriously think that the attempt here is to phase out a major part of the job that we do at the site. Bad news.

Saturday

Taking the day off on leave. Schedule for the next pay period was never posted so, no one has any idea whwre their assigned duty will be for the next two weeks. The Direct Supe used to be a colleague and now is the boss. He has not, however done everythinmg on time. He is a good man. But not someone whop can get things doen on time. That is a problem when it comes to government. He has also said things to staff members that could have, and perhaps should have, got him into major trouble with the Union. I think he is a good guy, but he needs training. He has had none of it and it is overwhelming him sometimes.

Speaking of training. Just on Wednesday I went to talk with another superviser in the site. He, like my own boss, was appointed in the position. He has had no training whatsoever at all. We were going to talk about an evaluation. In fact the employee who was evaluated was one of the two employees we filed the ULP on. Still, we sat down and talked. It turns out, this supe only gave two senetneces on the 4 part critical elements listed. I asked him why, and it was clear that he was embnarassed about it. He had no answer and stammered something about being a "nice guy" and wanting to treat everyonme with a clean slate. Again, like my own boss, I know that this guy is a stand up nice guy. He has been promoted into the position with no training and no practice at all. It isn't right. It isn't how good supervisors are made. They are destroyed that way. Both these guys need training and development. They are good people who are being ruined.

The title link will get you to the Federal Acquisition page. A source in the work site has told that there are questionable contractual actions taking place at the site.

Happy Holiday

I have Thursday and Friday off. So I should be back Saturday. Not that anybody cares.

VA?

We tried to get a hold of VA to help us write the ULP testimony. he hasn't called back. A brilliant man who sometimes is hard to get a hold of. It took all day to do this testimony. During lunch, we went to another facility and met with memebers. They were happy thatw ea re filing and wanted to help anyway they could. One of the guys we met, I'll call him Woodcutter. was very touched that we are doing what we are doing. Still, we got the testimony done and the Prez is ready to fax this over to the FLRA.

Interesting thing was that the boss came by the work site and ignored us. I can understand this. I am sure that he is taking this personally. Still, it would have been nice for him to make an attempt to tak. I would have listened.

Anyway, click on "VA" to go to the FLRA web page. It isn't the best, but it is good.

oops!

Well, several things today. Prez called. The FLRA wants all relevant evidence for our ULP mailed into them by Friday! The Prez is nervous about being under the gun. Basically, the action deals with the memos that the management sent out. These memos require the two employees to go to the Doctors, on the their own leave and expence, to confirm something that everbody, even the work site already knows, that they are diabetics. Well, we are fighting it. Prez wants me to get with the two employees and take statements. How I will do that is a question. He will call VA in the morning and speak about the necessity of doing it.

At the close of the day, I am in civilian clothes as we are walking up. I am thinking out loud thank the Supe and then I say, "fuck you!" And then two civilians walks by. OOps! Not in uniform so I really didn't get fried. I do however, hate the job there. Shouldn't have said that.

New style

The work place has just introduced a new style of communication with the public. I am the person "in charge." I put this is quotes because I am not really the person in charge. There are really four people who operate the work place. There is the Supe, the Deputy, the Chief, and my Direct supervisor. All four of them, have, at different times, told me diametrically opposed views of what the program should like. I have tried at times to please all. It is impossible. Now, the Deputy, has stated she wants things that directly contradicts what teh Supe has said. Amazing stuff here. May even grieve.

Today

Had a short meeting with Union Vice President. W e spoke about the ULPs. Vice is glad that they are going forward. Then he mentioned that there might be some question on price fixing and favortism when it comes to contract bidding. I know that this is a big so I will be doing some research. Contracting is a very difficult but serious thing that happens. Anyway, Prez is out of town because his father went under the knife. We spoke and updated about a grievance. A diabetic, who works with me, goit a very low evaluation. The problem was that he was never given an opportunity to improve from his term! Also, he was never really warned that his performance was not satisfactory. He was also tol not to go to the union. The bosses, he was told, think he is an agitator because he came to see me. If that isn't imtimidation, I don't know what is.

Here is a link to the FLRA on Unfair Labor Practices

http://www.flra.gov/procedure/filing/ulp.html

Performance

Just this week I had to have an informal sit down with the Direct Supervisor about Performance Appraisal. The Direct came from the staff. He wants to be a friend to the staff. The Supe gave an employee a bad eval. I was called into the meeting. The Employee started into attacking the Direct Boss. "Not good," I said. Then the meeting became amiable. The employee asked me to leave. I later learned that the Direct Boss said that the employee was becoming an agitator because he went to the Union. He (the employee) should not do that. He should go to the Supe. I know that this is another Unfair Labor Practice. I will try and speak to the Supe on Tueday. The Supe, by the way, has not had any training in his position.

Contract Negotiations

We have been very lucky to meet the National Representitive. I will call him VA. He is a very unassuming man. You would not think that he is the powerhouse that he is. He has been compared to Gerry Spence. he showed up at the start of negotiations and immediately took them over. He yelled at one party on management's side and has since controlled them. The talks have gone on for six months now. I am learning quite a bit from him. He has advised us on the ULP's. And, in fact, he wants to write a Senator and Congressman about the terror tactics used at our site. He is a brilliant man who has taught a great deal about Labor Law. He has turned us to Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. We can fight back, and we will. Retaliation and workplace violence that the management promote are nots omething that we can tolerate. And we will not

Actions

Pardon my length here. I want to explain everything that happens.

The Union filed three grievances because of the "working conditions" change. While going nowehere, it did however open my eyes. As a Steward, I was made aware of the working of the headquarters. I saw that the new Boss was NOT the kind man that he portrayed himself to be. Indeed, he has been quite hostile and difficult for anyone to talk to. Still, meetings took place over time. Quite a bit of yelling and verbal arguments developed. At this point, I am not the supporter that I was of the new Boss.
That leads me to this. Our work site has ordered that employees, who are known diabetics, to goto the Doctor's every six months, "in case their conditions change." They are diabetic! A chronic disease! The Union has filed two Unfair Labor Practices against the the new Boss. I really don't think he realizes it. In fact, I have the feeling that he really isn't smart. He has actually told people that if they don't want to change, this place isn't for you.

The New Boss

The Deputy was basically the superviser of the site. She made the calls on policy. The Boss was detached. He was't concerned. In fact, the partnership suffered as a result. It gave the partners the idea that they ran the site. They began to order around staff employees. Staff began to hate the partners. Then, the partnership ran into trouble. There was a funding issue that arose, and everything was put on hold. And the new Boss came.
I worked with the new Boss before. I was happy, no ecvited that he was here. I knew that he was competent. In fact, i knew that he was part of the staff. i told people that things would be better. I was wrong. Right off the bat, the new Boss appeared to be in step with the Deputy. Questions, simple questions, were asked of the new boss, and he laughed insultingly in the staff's face. In fact he made a point of sighing whenever anyone asked a question. He angrily hung up on staff phone calls. "Get your fucking ass up here." Was a line uttered. He also wanted a site picture on when staff weren't there, some couldn't show. The Boss then came down and yelled at the staff in public. "God Damn bullshit." "Asshole" weere words used. More staff were embarassed. Then, the new Boss decided to move staff. Why? "Because I am the Boss" was his reply. The Union would take action.

The Union

Up until this time, I saw three poeple taken away in a stretcher after meeting with the, well, we'll call her Deputy. The Deputy had a habit of berating and insulting staff in public meetings. This person would talk over employees. She would never answer any question of the staff. "I am too busy for this." Was a constant reply. She made it clear that she was "above" all of the employees. She believed in gossip. regardless if the information was accurate or not, she believed it. She would then attack whoever was the target. She was bad, very bad. Those people who were taken away were good people. They were dedicated. They were, like all of us, flawed. Still yelling at them in public, calling them names like "incompetent," "poor excuse for an employee." That did not bode well for the staff. Morale plummeted. When I joined the Union, my goal was to fight abuse like that. I knew that the union would stand up for the staff. That they would fight and fight hard.

Well, what is going on?

I know that there are very few if any who are reading this. So let me tell you what is happening. I work for a Federal agency that has a great reputation as one of the better. The place I work is well known, very well known. A lot of changes are coming around. We are working in a public/private partnership with a local business. In this era of outsourcing there is great worry. One worry is that the managment of the work site, as justification for the partnership, began to tell the public that the staff was meeting only 1% of its goals! That was when I joined the Union.

Hello

I hope this works. I need some therapy and maybe this is the trick. I am a local steward for a Federal Labor Union. The place I work is for the Federal Government. It is stressful to the extreme. In fact, over the past three years. Three employees have been taken out in a stretcher after attending meetings. Management in the place is openly hostile, sneering to the staff, and down right malicious. I know, I bitter, Please trust me on this, it is that bad. I will tell you later. But please stay with me. It is journey that is revealing and very very stressful.