[Chevelle-list] Attn: DoD Federal Employees > Attn EVERYONE

[Cecil \"Steve\" Martin]

Title: Attn: DoD Federal Employees

Here's why this is important to all of you and not just DOD employees. The people working on military bases these days are mostly Civil Service and contractors. More and more contractors each day. The Civil Service work force used to be made up of a large percentage of Veterans due to hiring laws of "Hire the Vet".  These guys used and worked with some of the same equipment, or similar equipment, and understood the system to make our defense system work and keep our guys on the line supplied with the best equipment possible.

 

When times of war come and needs become critical, the Civil Service guys, especially the vets, work overtime without even caring if they get paid for it or not. The contractor is not allowed to do so....without a new contract and more money. I have personally seen times when a Civil Service person worked overtime and the contractor had to go home and leave the Civil Service guys to get the job done. There was no time to modify contracts to allow the contractor company to make more money to do something not in the contract. 

 

The Civil Service are already hurting from years of hiring freezes, lower than comparable wages, many years of lower cost of living raises to "set an example",  and lower benefits than most outside companies. Did you know Civil Service don't even get a dental plan? Optical is limited to what they can get with a medical plan.

 

And now they want to hurt the people even more that have been managing the projects, making the purchases, making sure contracting companies give a fair product for a fair price to make the best of tax dollars, and the guys repairing these products and returning or moving them to the field.

 

Think about the last few wars. Then think how well the equipment worked to do it's job to reduce death of our young people. That equipment was put on the job by mostly Civil Service and contractors managing projects to buy new equipment or maintain or upgrade what we have. While the Vets deserve most of the credit for putting their live's on the line, once again the guys working behind the scene are the target of another attempt to slap them in the face. Why? because some contractor sold the idea to the Pentagon, a congressman, that they could "save money" by hiring the job out, or promised a job to someone to get a contract.

 

Is the safety of this country really going to go down the tubes so some guys can get nice cushy jobs or some contractor can make more money? While the Civil Service guys take it in the shorts once again? This is as close to high treason and selling out your country as you can get without bringing in a foreign government.

 

Call your congressman today!

 

-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]On Behalf Of Dale McIntosh
Sent: Friday, November 07, 2003 6:37 PM
To: 'The Chevelle Mailing List'
Subject: [Chevelle-list] Attn: DoD Federal Employees

No, this isn't spam.  Our local union representative just gave us some information today that will affect every Federal Employee and may trickle down to the state levels as well.  This information was obtained from Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole's office concerning the DOD AUTHORIZATION PACKAGE bill.

The House voted and passed this bill this A.M.  The vote was 362/40.  If you have never called your U.S. Senator before, do it NOW.  If this passes in the Senate, we will lose many benefits.

The understanding is there will be NO more overtime pay (just straight time) and supervisors can still demand 'mandatory overtime.'  NO cost of living (COLA's), NO premium holiday pay - holidays, mandatory or not, will get straight time, NO due process such as the Merit Protection Board, NO step increases.

The House has voted on the final version of the DoD Plan agreed to late last night by House and Senate negotiators.  A Senate vote will soon follow although we don't know exactly when.  AFGE strongly opposes the conference report because House and Senate negotiators did not change the outright attack on the collective barganing and other rights of DoD civilian employees contained in the legislation.

Call your Senators and urge them to oppose the Defense Authorization conference report.  Call your lawmakers toll free at 1-877-331-2000 and ask to be connected to your Representative or Senators office.  You can find your Representative at http://www.house.gov and your Senator at http://www.senate.gov.

Personal note:  As I understand it, and I may be wrong, this bill was passed as a 'rider' on the defense authorization bill to fund the Iraq war…not on its own merits.  This may also affect other Federal Employees, I'm not sure.  You can be sure if this only affects DoD employees now, it will be a catalyst for any and all federal workers!

Dale McIntosh
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