NFFE and Sister Unions Rally Against NSPS

Washington, DC - Several hundred federal employees and union members from across the country, including many from NFFE, turned out for a rally near the Capitol on Tuesday to protest the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) proposed new personal system, known as the National Security Personnel System, or NSPS. 

The passage of NSPS would bring about widespread changes in DoD, including the end of the traditional pay scale system, drastic changes in the collective bargaining system, and far more latitude for supervisors over personnel decisions.  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is set to implement similar new rules on August 1^st, and sweeping changes may be in store for the entire federal government as well if proposed legislation to make similar changes government-wide moves forward.

The rally was organized by the United DoD Workers Coalition, an alliance of 36 labor unions representing civilian employees of the defense department, which NFFE has been actively involved in since its formation.  Key figures from many of the member unions, including NFFE National President/DBR Richard N. Brown, spoke at the rally, as well as several of our allies on Capitol Hill. 

House Minority Speaker Steny Hoyer (D-MD) addressed the crowd, discussing the potential for abuse in a pay-for-performance system.  “We want a civil service based on merit, not on whose coffers you contributed to, not on the whim of whoever happens to be a political appointee at the time,” Hoyer said.

“I was very pleased that so many brothers and sisters turned out and made their voices heard, especially in such hot and humid conditions,” said Brown.  “Their presence was a testament to both the solidarity of the union movement in this fight, and the strong dissatisfaction with NSPS.  Hopefully they will all take the same energy and frustration they expressed at the rally and use it to lobby Congress.”