Author Archives: AdminUN

About AdminUN

FEDSMILL staff has over 40 years of federal sector labor relations experience on the union as well as management side of the table and even some time as a neutral.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE THIS UNION’S PRESIDENT? Most leadership programs put participants in hypothetical situations, give them the facts, and then ask them to lead their group to a solution.  What follows is a tale of two … Continue reading

Posted in Membership Building | Tagged | 3 Comments

FSIP DESIGNS NOVEL LEAVE SELECTION SYSTEM Most every union wrestles with how annual leave requests should be approved.  One of the more common struggles is between giving those with seniority preference versus giving the younger employees with families a chance … Continue reading

Posted in Bargaining | Tagged | Leave a comment

TIME CLOCK BARGAINING AND THE BIBLICAL MARK OF THE BEAST This is a case about religious discrimination you will find hard to forget.  Like most everything else about workplaces these days automation is driving lots of change. One particular area … Continue reading

Posted in EEO/Discrimination, Religion | Tagged | Leave a comment

AFGE MAKES ANOTHER FUTURISTIC MOVE In order to establish a first class representational program a union needs a lot more than skilled reps to present cases and advise locals.  It is just as vital that it have an excellent training … Continue reading

Posted in Training, Union Administration | Tagged | Leave a comment

WHY CAN’T MY UNION DO THIS? (PART 2) Back on December 7, 2014 we posted a story with the same title as this one, minus the Part 2 reference.  The message was the unions need to create user-friendly on-line information … Continue reading

Posted in Union Administration | Tagged | Leave a comment

AFGE: HOW A UNION STRATEGICALLY COMMITS TO GROWTH We have complimented AFGE often for its success at adding new members since 1999.  John Gage, its prior national president, and J. David Cox, its current one, have had more success this … Continue reading

Posted in Membership Building | Tagged | Leave a comment

DHS CHCO PREFERS PASS-FAIL EVALUATIONS Not long ago Jeff Neal was the Chief Human Capital Officer of the Dept. of Homeland Security. Today, he is consulting and out here in the blogosphere letting folks know what he really thinks. We … Continue reading

Posted in Performance | Tagged | 1 Comment

PPP POWERPOINT Recognizing a prohibited personnel practice violation is one of the more powerful things a union rep can do because the law permits the offending manager to be suspended, fined and even barred from government service. Not long ago … Continue reading

Posted in Prohibited Personnel Practice | Tagged | Leave a comment

TENS, IF NOT HUNDREDS, OF MILLIONS IN BACK PAY COMING TO CBP OFFICERS In the chaotic aftermath of 9/11, the U.S. Customs Service made a lot of questionable decisions trying to boost America’s protection. That should have been a surprise … Continue reading

Posted in Back Pay, Overtime | Tagged | 2 Comments

FLRA UPHOLDS RETROACTIVE TRANSIT SUBSIDY AWARDS Arbitrator Suzanne R. Butler found that the Agency violated the parties’ collective-bargaining agreement by not retroactively paying qualified bargaining-unit employees’ mass-transit subsidies of up to $240 per month for the period from January 2012 … Continue reading

Posted in Back Pay, Compensation | Tagged | Leave a comment