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AFGE, Local 3937 - Local Membership Meeting July 10th, 2024 Conference Call Present were: John Pfannenstein, Janice Couoh, Patti Mansbach, Jackie Walton, Tony Tecumseh, Tonya Boren, Joseph Otterbine, Adam Neff, Jamie Turnage and Laura Novakoski. The meeting was held via Zoom conference call with dial-in information posted to the Members section of our Local website. The meeting was called to order at 5:31pm, chaired by John Pfannenstein, Local President. Agenda:
Jackie provided current balances of $84,988 in the checking account, and $177,336 in the savings account. She has no other news of note, as this is a slow time of year for required clerical and financial issues. Old Business: You all should have seen our informational email about the Union’s take on the Common Calendar, now being implemented in Region 10, Area 2 (possibly coming soon to Area 1 also). We put in a Demand to Bargain (DTB) but have not yet received a response. It is likely that the Agency will decline to bargain, upon which we will file an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge, which is unfortunately a lengthy process with the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA). Management failed to notify us for pre-decisional consultation and bargaining, and it causes a major change in working conditions that we are already aware is causing problems for employees in other regions. We have seen a lack of training, double booking appointments, among other issues. The Union does not object to spreading out work overall, via this type of process or another, but employees need safeguards to avoid preventable stress and overwork. New Business: Commissioner O’Malley has agreed with AFGE on some key points for major changes in the training programs offered to new hires and promotions. He has received feedback from AFGE, employee and management panels and will be using the next round(s) of new hires to test the new model. Right now, the main vehicle to provide training is OTAP (basically a cartoon slideshow), and trainees often do not have consistent access to mentoring. In the new program, there should be more On the Job Training (OJT), a feedback button within OTAP, mentors who have their time protected to work with trainees rather than being assigned competing production work, and a check-in at the 6-month mark. The Union-Management Cooperation Council (UMCC) will be discussing the status in their November meeting. For 4th quarter hires this fiscal year (approximately 2,840 in Operations components like FOs, WSUs, TSCs), the Agency has decided that FO and WSU trainees will be on-site (e.g. no telework allowed) for the first 3 months, and TSC trainees for up to 18 weeks, based on supposed feedback from other recent hires. The Union agrees that timely, one-on-one training is invaluable, but it could be provided virtually vs. sitting in the same physical room; also, we will not accept trainers or mentors having their own telework schedules infringed. We predict that this program will meld in some way with TESA or at least with TESA concepts: this was a pilot program introduced within the past year to pair a detailed mentor with a group of trainees, with structured meeting/consulting times, and protected time so that the mentor and trainees would not be pulled for lobby help or other production work. Discussion and questions followed. Reports: Laura and John will be our delegates attending the Council 215, Council 220, and AFGE National Convention for about a week in mid-August. There will still be other officers available to handle questions and concerns during their absence. Open Floor / Miscellaneous: We offered a Q&A session on issues that members brought up during open discussion. Minutes Review: Laura made a motion that we accept the minutes as written and read; Jackie seconded. Motion passed. You can stay informed about topics like these and much more by going to www.afge.org to sign up for Action Alerts to be sent via text or email so that you are informed of current legislative and political events – please do so on your personal computer or phone, not on duty time or on Agency equipment. Jackie moved to adjourn; Patti seconded. Motion passed. The meeting ended at 6:15pm. Minutes written and submitted by Laura Novakoski. |
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