Monthly Archives: November 2011

IRS PROBATIONER’S REINSTATEMENT A LESSON FOR ALL STEWARD ALERT!     Managers constantly tell probationary employees they have no appeal rights if terminated, but that is just not true.  FEDSMILL.com is working on a longer article about probationary employee appeal rights, but here … Continue reading

Posted in EEO/Discrimination, Probation Period | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

AGENCY CAN BE ORDERED TO PAY EMPLOYEE INCOME TAXES STEWARD ALERT!     When the employer is ordered to give an employee a back pay lump sum amount, it can also be required to compensate the employee for any extra income taxes … Continue reading

Posted in EEO/Remedies, Remedies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

FIVE UNION RIGHTS YOU MAY NOT REMEMBER STEWARD ALERT!     We all know that union activists cannot be fired, denied a benefit, or even poorly evaluated if the decision is based on or even related to our choice to be union … Continue reading

Posted in FLRA, Union Rights | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

UNIONS FOOLISH TO REFER EEO COMPLAINTS TO AGENCY EEO OFFICERS LEADER ALERT! Too many unions think that they should not use the grievance process to pursue employee complaints about civil rights discrimination. As a result, they refer employees with discrimination … Continue reading

Posted in EEO/Discrimination, Grievance/Arbitration | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

ON-LINE VOTING FOR LOCAL UNION OFFICERS Finally, someone heard the complaints of so many local union leaders who by law must run local elections every two or three years.  Those of us who have been through it know the drill: … Continue reading

Posted in Union Administration | 1 Comment

HOW GOOD IS YOUR CONTRACT? The only valid measure of how good a labor agreement is what the union members who live under it think.  If it is overwhelmingly ratified and used, it is a great contract.  A less valid … Continue reading

Posted in Bargaining | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

FEATHERBEDDING AT FSIP Featherbedding is a widely condemned practice in labor-management circles.  At best, it is wasteful; at worst, it is dishonest; and, at present, it appears that the Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP) is mired in it.  The cost … Continue reading

Posted in Arbitration, FSIP | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

JOHN (OPM) BERRY’S CONTEMPT FOR BILINGUAL EMPLOYEES OPM Director John Berry must be filled with contempt for bilingual federal employees.  Or maybe the Obama appointee is just a hand puppet being worked by others with contempt for them.  Or maybe … Continue reading

Posted in EEO/Discrimination, Membership Building | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

FREE ON-LINE FLSA TRAINING MATERIALS STEWARD ALERT!     The right to be paid for all the hours we work is about as fundamental right as employees have and not far behind that is the right to be paid at an overtime … Continue reading

Posted in FLSA/Overtime | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

INADEQUATE AGENCY NOTICE GIVES UNION A BIG BARGAINING BONUS (PT. 2) NEGOTIATOR ALERT!     What does it mean for the union when management gives it advance notice of a proposed change, but the notice omits some of the details?  It means … Continue reading

Posted in Bargaining Law, Bargaining Tactics, FLRA, ULPs | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment