(July
9, 2010)
In
order to further improve the lines of communication and to respond to the
concerns between the National VA Council and you our members, I have
established a National VA Council Briefing. This NVAC Briefing will bring you
the latest news and developments within DVA and provide you with the current
status of issues this Council is currently addressing. I believe that this
NVAC Briefing will greatly enhance the way in which we communicate and the way
in which we share new information, keeping you better informed.
Alma
L. Lee
National
VA Council, President
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In
This Briefing: NVAC Urges VA
Leadership to Work Together to Protect Employees Impacted by OPM’s Recent
Downgrade Decision
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On
July 7th, I met with top VA leadership to ensure that our members
who work in VHA medical support jobs in the 679 and 303 series are not
adversely impacted by OPM’s recent classification decision. AFGE
National President Gage and I jointly urged Assistant Secretary for Human
Relations and Administration, John Sepulveda to address many of the
longstanding problems with the Hybrid Title 38 system before converting
more employees from Title 5 to Hybrid.
We restated our strong
opposition to any downgrades of these positions and called on the VA to work
with us through partnership to come up with new strategies to ensure decent
wages, career opportunities, and bargaining rights in the boarding process.
Two AFGE members designated by me to serve on this work group – Chris
Richmond from Local 2198, in Beckley, WV and Paula Whetzal from Local 2342, in
Black Hills, SD – also participated in the meeting and provided valuable
information about the current status of positions in the 679 and 303 series. VA
wants to convert the employees who are in the downgrade series to be placed
under the Title 38 Hybrid system to possibly avoid downgrade. We say fix the
Hybrid system before converting.
Stay tuned for more updates
on NVAC’s response to the downgrade; another meeting with VA leadership will
be held in a few weeks.