Meet and Confer Begins: Pentagon and Unions Attempt to Settle Differences over Proposed Personnel System

Arlington, VA — Yesterday marked day one of the meet-and-confer between federal employee labor unions and the Pentagon over proposed regulations for the National Security Personnel System (NSPS).  The closed-door deliberations, which will take place continually for at least the next four weeks, will be used to reach agreements between the two parties, Department of Defense (DoD) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) officials representing the Pentagon and federal employee unions representing Defense workers, on personnel matters.

Representing the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) in the meet-and-confer are National President/DBR Richard N. Brown, General Counsel Susan Grundmann, and IAM Director of Government Employees Frank Carelli.

The NSPS proposed regulations, released in February, indicated the Defense Department’s intent to make sweeping changes to the way over 700,000 civilian employees at DoD are paid, promoted and disciplined.  The meet-and-confer, which is being facilitated by federal mediators, is an opportunity for discussions to take place and agreements to be reached on the specifics of the Pentagon’s proposed regulations.  Some of the specific issues that will be discussed include: the reduction in scope of bargaining, the system of employee appeal, the standard for mitigation for discipline and adverse action cases, and the subjective pay-banding system. 

“We go into this meet-and-confer intent on making a good-faith effort to have meaningful discussions about the personnel plan and to work with management to reach agreement on the terms of the final regulations,” said Brown.  “It is our sincere hope that Pentagon officials are prepared to make the same good-faith effort.”

Deliberations yesterday were limited to ground rules.  More information will follow as the meet-and-confer continues.