Political issues:  Now is the political time.  Be careful.  The Hatch act requires that we do nothing political in the office, no e-mails, no political buttons, nothing on our cars, etc.  However, the Hatch Act does allow us to be active in political campaigns (however, don’t deal with the money).  We can make political contributions and volunteer (phone banks, signs, canvassing, etc.) for the candidate of our choice.  Elections matter to the working conditions of federal employees.  Be active.   

Chapter 59 needs additional new stewards.  A union steward is someone who cares about their job, their working conditions, and fellow employees being treated fairly.  Stewards are there to solve problems not create them.  NTEU provides great training provided by NTEU attorneys at locations around the country.  A union OJI is provided to a new steward and the first few union actions are done jointly.  Support your union and your fellow employees by being a steward.  If interested, contact me or a steward.   

DEATH AND TAXES

“I got this article from the New York union chapter newsletter.  It represents our history and my feelings.” 

The title is cryptic for a reason.  It pertains to the IRS’ recently intense focus on employee tax compliance.  This focus has the insane effect of holding IRS employees to a higher compliance standard than other taxpayers.  Employees have been disciplined for failing to timely file their returns or timely pay their taxes.  Never mind that these employees had reasonable cause, extenuating circumstances or other mitigating factors that caused the so-called noncompliance.  What the IRS is saying in no uncertain terms is there are no reasonable causes when it comes to employee tax issues.  Your parents, children or close relatives pass away or are gravely ill?  Tough.  If you are personally ill or suffer a nervous breakdown – we are sorry about that but you better pay your taxes on time.  The main instrument of discipline being played by the IRS is what we call the 1203(b)(8)&(9) death penalty.  This section of the arcane RRA  98 regulations calls for the summary firing of employees who willfully fail to timely file their returns and/or pay their taxes.  The key word is willfully.  In order to sustain a termination penalty the IRS has to prove you intentionally failed to file or pay.  That’s a very high standard which so far has enabled us to prevent employees from being fired.  Don’t take comfort in this.  The IRS is intent on recommending this penalty on practically every employee tax issue.  Why?  For the usual reason.  The heartless Labor Relations trolls that IRS managers are subservient to advise them to do it.  It is obvious Congress needs to revise this odious 1203(b) thing.  It has reduced IRS employees to second class citizens.  An act of Congress?  We’ll all be dead by then.  In the meantime you know what time it is.  FILE AND PAY YOUR TAXES ON TIME.  AVOID THE DEATH PENALTY.

However, if you receive an inquiry from IRS regarding your taxes, please contact your Chapter 59 steward before responding to IRS.   

The Richard (Dick) Chapman presentation on an overview of estate planning including basic Arkansas law, will preparation, financial planning, living wills and revocable trusts was a great success.  Thanks goes to Dick, Rasa, Carla and all who attended. We hope to have other sessions similar to this.  Please let us know what you would like.   

Carpel Tunnel:  This is happening to more employees.  It has to me.  Laptops are especially prone to cause this.  We have made this an issue at the Safety Committee meetings and other Labor/management meetings.  Reasonable Accommodation items are available upon request.  Some of these are ergonomic chairs, movable desk tops, ergonomic keyboards and mice.  At the first sign of a problem, contact your steward for information on the reasonable accommodation process.  This is an EEO process that is a management process run by and for management, so don’t be fooled by the jargon.   

Cleaning materials:  Recently it took the union’s actions to get management to provide desk cleaning materials to employees.  A SBSE fiscal analyst decided that it was an AWSS job.  Of course, AWSS asserted it was SBSE’s job.  The new IRS slogan is “IT IS NOT MY JOB.”  The multiple division organization has led to this. 

Collection management and Examination management recently, in separate cases, approved hardship transfers for the benefit of the employee and the IRS.  Management can do right. 

Carl Becker, Vickie’s husband, recently represented Chapter 59 at the NTEU legislative conference in DC. 

The NTEU 2008 Legislative Agenda

• Supporting federal labor-management partnerships;

• Advocating for a fair federal pay raise and continued opposition to pay-for-performance management systems;

• Pushing for adequate agency funding and opposing the runaway privatization of federal jobs;

• Securing larger government contributions to the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, including a federal contribution to the dental and vision programs, as well as an expansion of the Family Medical Leave Act, while opposing Health Savings Accounts;

• Lobbying for Department of Homeland Security issues, including a repeal of ‘One Face at the Border,’ complete whistleblower protection and full collective bargaining rights for all DHS employees and an end to abuses of the Federal Career Intern Program; and

• Supporting retirement issues such as ending Social Security offsets, securing Flexible Spending Accounts for retirees and allowing employees covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System to apply unused sick leave to pension benefits Some interesting legislative facts that you may want (or not) post or email to the membership:

Last year NTEU tracked congressional votes on issues of importance to federal workers.  In all there 12 votes in the House of Representatives and 9 votes in the Senate.

This is how the Arkansas Delegation voted (in agreement with the NTEU position):

House-

Marion Berry (D)    11 of 12 (92%)

Vic Snyder (D)       12 of 12 (100%)

John Boozman (R)  0 of 12 (0%)

Mike Ross (D)        11 of 12  (92%)

Senate-

Blanche Lincoln  (D)  9 of 9 (100%)

Mark Pryor (D)          9 of 9 (100%)

other Senators of interest:

John McCain (R)      0 of 9  (0%)

Barrack Obama (D)  7 of 7   (100%)

Hillary Clinton (D)    7 0f 7   (100%)

NTEU Chapter 59 currently has a union membership of 81.5%.   If you know someone who is not a member, invite them to be a part of our union.  We can do more together. 

Attached is an article written by Jackie Fowler about one of our vacations.  Please submit articles (notes, pictures, nothing fancy required) on your fun activities for the next newsletter. Click here for the article.

It is important to note that NTEU is not informed by an agency when a member submits a change of address to that agency.  Unless the member or the chapter contacts NTEU or uses the Personal Contact Info area of www.NTEU.org, all mail from NTEU will continue to be addressed to the “old” address.

Click on the below attachments for more information:

AddrChgNot--Reminder.doc                       ChangeofAddressFlier.pdf

NTEU National News

Click on the below link for 2009 pay proposal information:

2009 Pay Proposal

January 28, 2008 

M E M O R A N D U M 

TO:             Chapter Presidents and Legislative Coordinators 

RE:            Extending Family and Medical Leave to Families of Servicemembers 

SUMMARY:  H.R. 4986, the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2008, was sent to the President on January 24th.  It contains provisions that extend leave to 26 weeks per 12-month period to take time off from work to care for injured veterans.  It also expands the definition of covered employee to include “next of kin.” 

            The second version of the Defense Authorization bill was sent to the President last week, with revisions made in regard to lawsuits involving Iraq, which were necessary to comply with the President’s eleventh hour demands to Congress.  Included in the bill is a new provision that extends from 12 weeks to 26 weeks the amount of leave a family member can take to care for an injured veteran.  It also expands the definition of who is eligible for such leave by including “next of kin” or nearest blood relative. 

            The employing agency may require a certification from the employee.  The Office of Personnel Management will probably issue regulations for such a certification in the near future. 

            NTEU applauds this new provision, but we are still working with Congress to provide some kind of paid family and medical leave for federal employees. 

            If you would like additional information on these subjects, please call Cathy Ball in the Legislation Department at 202-572-5500, ext. 8067. 

Colleen M. Kelley

National President 

To return to the NTEU Chapter 59 homepage left click on the following link:

NTEU-Chapter59.org

For more information, visit the NTEU National web site at www.nteu.org