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DHS Survey Shows Little Movement on Morale
A look behind the numbers in the latest survey of Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) employees shows the widely-recognized morale crisis
within key DHS components is, in reality, a crisis of leadership.
That view was expressed by NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley in the
wake of an internal DHS survey
revealing serious concerns held by survey respondents from two key
DHS components—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and
the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
“The survey results on such questions as liking their work
and believing it is important,” President Kelley said, “clearly
show a workforce made up of dedicated, serious people who are committed
to the missions of their department and their component within that
department.”
At the same time, she said, “the results reveal just as clearly
what NTEU has been saying for some time —that DHS and its component
agencies engage in a culture of favoritism, filled with arbitrary
treatment of their employees, and a refusal to empower, listen to,
engage or motivate them, as well as provide them with the resources
they need. This is failure to manage effectively on a grand scale,
and that continues to put the nation at risk.”
She said that “gathering information is a crucial first step,
but it is only a first step. To be effective, agencies have to ensure
appropriate resources and staffing; they have to listen to front-line
employees—and really listen to them about the best way to get
the work done; and they have to train their managers to do a much
better job.” More
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Following NTEU’s successful fight to secure the enhanced
law enforcement officer (LEO) retirement coverage you deserve,
I am pleased to inform you that progress is being made in implementing
this important program.
NTEU's work did not end after we secured this key benefit in
a 2008 spending bill signed into law last December. Over the
past months, we have been working diligently with lawmakers
and agency management to see that the LEO program is implemented
properly and on time.
To that end, NTEU has received assurances both from CBP and
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that they will comply
with the law and prepare for the benefit's July 6 rollout date,
despite the president's efforts to repeal the benefit and eliminate
its funding.
NTEU's efforts on Capitol Hill resulted in a strong letter
of support for the LEO program from leaders of the House and
Senate Homeland Security Committee to the OMB Director. The
bipartisan leaders voiced their support for the benefit and
for additional funding for the program in the fiscal 2009 budget
submission. Director Jim Nussle responded
that OMB and DHS will "abide by the law" and prepare
to implement the program’s requirements despite the president's
opposition. More
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MORE NEWS
CBP Funding Must Mesh With Staffing Needs, Agency Missions
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) must be provided with the funding
necessary to boost personnel to levels recommended by the agency’s
own staffing model, the leader of the union representing thousands of homeland
security employees said in testimony
submitted to a key House appropriations subcommittee.
President Kelley urged the House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee
to provide for increased CBP staffing and resources.
In her testimony, Kelley pointed out that CBP’s own resource allocation
model confirms the agency’s need to hire up to 4,000 more CBP Officers
(CBPOs). Despite recognition of the need for additional staff, the White
House’s fiscal 2009 funding request would provide for only 539 additional
frontline CBPOs—fewer than two at each of the nation’s 327 air,
sea and land ports of entry. More
NTEU Scores Second Arbitration Win Against Grooming Standards
NTEU has won a second arbitration decision declaring that CBP’s personal
appearance standards (PAS) required of its uniformed employees are illegal.
In his remedy, the arbitrator ordered that the PAS, or grooming standards,
must be rescinded and ordered CBP to return to the status quo by returning
to the prior grooming standards.
In 2004, CBP rejected the long-standing appearance standards that had been
negotiated and decided to replace them with more draconian standards that
have no supporting rationale.
“There was never any question that CBP employees presented a professional
image,” said NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley, “so forcing these
new standards was insulting and has no bearing on the ability of employees
to perform their jobs.”
The CBP-imposed standards prohibit beards on employees and set detailed
rules addressing hair color, mustache and fingernail length, the wearing
of jewelry and more.
The most recent decision finds that CBP's actions violated civil service
merit system principles, applicable law and the parties' national agreement.
CBP had failed to conduct a job analysis to determine whether there was
a rational relationship between the grooming standards and employees' performance.
As a result, the arbitrator ruled, CBP has illegally been using non-merit
factors as a condition of employment.
CBP has refused to comply with an October 2005 arbitrator's ruling that
the program was illegally implemented and should be rescinded. In response,
NTEU has filed a national grievance to force CBP compliance.
"It is time for CBP to acknowledge that the new standards were illegally
put in place and rescind them," said Kelley.
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