Posts tagged Defense Health Agency
NASA spent almost $900K on taxpayer-funded union time last year — to negotiate trivial workplace issues: ‘Absurd’
June 2, 2025 // “They’re left negotiating for tedious things that are of zero or negative benefit to taxpayers,” Rachel Greszler, a senior research fellow on workforce and public finance at the Heritage Foundation, previously explained to The Post. “This includes things like the height of cubicle panels, securing designated smoking areas on otherwise smoke-free campuses, and the right to wear Spandex at work.” In 2023, there were 43 employees at NASA who logged in taxpayer-funded union time, with about 6,588.5 hours of union work done that year. By 2024, that jumped to 49, with 8,780.25 union work done, according to the new data.
Workers at Defense Health Agency spent $3.3 million and 87,000 hours working on their own union benefits
April 7, 2025 // Federal unions are restricted from negotiating benefits and pay by the Federal Service Labor Management Relations Statute. Instead, benefits and pay are determined by law set by Congress and federal regulations. But federal unions can negotiate over more minor aspects of working conditions. “This includes things like the height of cubicle panels, securing designated smoking areas on otherwise smoke-free campuses, and the right to wear Spandex at work,” Rachel Greszler, a senior research fellow on workforce and public finance at the Heritage Foundation, previously told The Post.
Unions fear ceding members in Defense Health Agency reorganization
August 22, 2023 // “Who am I to come in and say ‘you’re now in my union?’” he said. Some members have also questioned the structure of the units, saying markets force together facilities that group different military services, chains of command and cultures, even if the employees share job duties, management and working environments. “Whenever there’s a big reorganization like this, the FLRA needs to certify appropriate bargaining units,” Friday said. “But it doesn’t have to be the most appropriate bargaining units. There can be other workable configurations. And so here’s a question of trying to find something that comports, to some extent, with the agency structure, but also [with] NFFE’s goal that would also allow us to represent as many of our folks as we can.” The Colorado market, for example, is comprised of four treatment facilities and several medical clinics located in Colorado and Utah.
American Federation of Government Employees Works to Unionize Defense Department Employees in Europe
August 14, 2023 // AFGE has established a new at-large local known as Local 14 under District 14. While District 14 primarily covers federal employees in Maryland, Virginia, and D.C., it also extends its membership to European federal employees and already has a few smaller locals in Europe. The goal is to establish more locals in Europe based on profession and locality. The new at-large local is open to federal employees throughout Europe, regardless of agency, who are not yet represented by an AFGE local. The hope is to eventually represent around 10,000 employees under Local 14. Currently, AFGE has about 100 dues-paying at-large members within the new local. While these members receive representation in labor disputes, collective bargaining can only occur once the union is recognized through FLRA elections. AFGE needs 30% of the workforce to express interest in holding elections before collective bargaining can take place.
The biggest federal employee union expands its international presence
April 20, 2023 // Some 10,000 federal employees working in Europe will soon be eligible for the American Federation of Government Employees. AFGE has launched a new local, as it expands coverage. Tom Temin And what are the timelines and schedules here? When does this election take place? When does it get certified? And how long will this all take? Peter Winch Well, we would hope to file for an election Defense Health Agency continent-wide. And we have a new logo, which is based on our U.S. logo with the map of Europe. And we have a new card for people to fill out if they want to have an election at their workplace. And if they contact AFGE, and we’re getting a lot of contacts, they can join by what we call E-dues. So I work for District 14, we have Local 14 and the dues are $14. If you’re an at large member, and if we succeed in these elections, it’ll be $20 and you get all the benefits of membership then.
OPM, NTEU offer recommendations to improve relationships between agencies, unions
July 22, 2022 // Earlier this year, the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment made 70 recommendations to enhance federal unions, including providing information on unions to federal employees and improving transparency. labor-management relations, Tony Reardon, Tim Curry, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, Obama and Clinton administrations, Frontline employees