CHAPTER 49 NEWS
MARCH 29, 2002
GILES FILES
By
Duncan Giles
President
NTEU Chapter 49
On this & that. At the call site we have a couple of major things
going on. First is the long awaited air quality issue. We have been
fine tuning this for a while with management so the Union wouldn’t have to
pay the full cost of an outside vendor to do the testing. Mike Keethers
& Fred Mecum of Chapter 49 have been working very closely with management
on this to make sure we test for all that needs to be done. The first
step in this process is filling out the survey form that is available to you
whether you have experienced any problems or not, so they will have a better
idea of what to look for. I strongly urge everyone to participate in
this so if there is a problem we can get it corrected once and for all.
Another issue is the temperature in the Call Site that hasn’t been well regulated
for years. There is going to be a big meeting with management, NTEU,
DB Mann, IRS Facilities & GSA in early April to see if we can get this
issue rectified so you won’t need a parka for one side of the building and
a towel for the steam-room-like conditions on the other side.
The last big Call Site topic is the feasibility study being done nationwide
to see if tax law questions answered over the phone could be contracted out
to private industry. This is all part of President Bush’s plan to see
if at least 5% of the work done by the federal government can be done by private
industry. I personally feel that doing this with tax law calls would
be a tremendously stupid idea. The main thing is— at this point it’s
just a feasibility study. Don’t freak out about it. No one is
in imminent danger of losing their job. According to national NTEU VP
Frank Ferris, even if something does come of this it probably would not affect
anyone until 2005.
Out in the field, with filing season winding down it’s time for everyone’s
favorite game show…”Non Filing Season Support.” Karen McKibben (who
is our lead negotiator on the issue) will be having sessions in early April
to try and pin things down, so that it works as well as it can for everyone
concerned. Karen to this point has done an outstanding job on this issue
and I have no reason to believe this will be any different.
Now it’s on to the Chapter 49 Steward news. Pam Fruggiero has been
confirmed as our new Chapter Secretary. At the Call Site, Nickole Johnson
& Jackie Goodloe are on leave of absences for a while from their stewarding
duties. Kudos this issue go out to (in no particular order)...Field—Teresa
Bohnert, Delores Bell, Cheryl Tolbert, Susan Wright, Shawn Kennedy, Karen
McKibben, Brian Kosteck & Donna Wolfe. In the Minton Capehart building—Cynthia
Underwood, Scott Carder, Pam Fruggiero & Dean Crawford. At the Call
Site—Fred Mecum, Mike Keethers, Kellie Baldwin, Clarence Mullins & April
Lopez-Roque. Whew, that is a whole lotta people working on issues and
concerns for the employees in Indiana, folks!
Lastly, be sure to check out our new Web site at www.nteu49.org. It’s
a work in progress but it looks great so far.
That’s it for this time.
——————————————————————————————————————
ELECTION NOTE
By the time you read this, the start of the rerun of the Chapter 49 election
should be underway. If you are a member in good standing and haven’t
received a nominations and election form by April 6th, please contact Stephanie
Gray at 312-977-0104 for assistance.
CHAPTER 49 NEWS
MARCH 29, 2002
GILES FILES
By
Duncan Giles
President
NTEU Chapter 49
On this & that. At the call site we have a couple of major things
going on. First is the long awaited air quality issue. We have been
fine tuning this for a while with management so the Union wouldn’t have to
pay the full cost of an outside vendor to do the testing. Mike Keethers
& Fred Mecum of Chapter 49 have been working very closely with management
on this to make sure we test for all that needs to be done. The first
step in this process is filling out the survey form that is available to you
whether you have experienced any problems or not, so they will have a better
idea of what to look for. I strongly urge everyone to participate in
this so if there is a problem we can get it corrected once and for all.
Another issue is the temperature in the Call Site that hasn’t been well regulated
for years. There is going to be a big meeting with management, NTEU,
DB Mann, IRS Facilities & GSA in early April to see if we can get this
issue rectified so you won’t need a parka for one side of the building and
a towel for the steam-room-like conditions on the other side.
The last big Call Site topic is the feasibility study being done nationwide
to see if tax law questions answered over the phone could be contracted out
to private industry. This is all part of President Bush’s plan to see
if at least 5% of the work done by the federal government can be done by private
industry. I personally feel that doing this with tax law calls would
be a tremendously stupid idea. The main thing is— at this point it’s
just a feasibility study. Don’t freak out about it. No one is
in imminent danger of losing their job. According to national NTEU VP
Frank Ferris, even if something does come of this it probably would not affect
anyone until 2005.
Out in the field, with filing season winding down it’s time for everyone’s
favorite game show…”Non Filing Season Support.” Karen McKibben (who
is our lead negotiator on the issue) will be having sessions in early April
to try and pin things down, so that it works as well as it can for everyone
concerned. Karen to this point has done an outstanding job on this issue
and I have no reason to believe this will be any different.
Now it’s on to the Chapter 49 Steward news. Pam Fruggiero has been
confirmed as our new Chapter Secretary. At the Call Site, Nickole Johnson
& Jackie Goodloe are on leave of absences for a while from their stewarding
duties. Kudos this issue go out to (in no particular order)...Field—Teresa
Bohnert, Delores Bell, Cheryl Tolbert, Susan Wright, Shawn Kennedy, Karen
McKibben, Brian Kosteck & Donna Wolfe. In the Minton Capehart building—Cynthia
Underwood, Scott Carder, Pam Fruggiero & Dean Crawford. At the Call
Site—Fred Mecum, Mike Keethers, Kellie Baldwin, Clarence Mullins & April
Lopez-Roque. Whew, that is a whole lotta people working on issues and
concerns for the employees in Indiana, folks!
Lastly, be sure to check out our new Web site at www.nteu49.org. It’s
a work in progress but it looks great so far.
That’s it for this time.
——————————————————————————————————————
ELECTION NOTE
By the time you read this, the start of the rerun of the Chapter 49 election
should be underway. If you are a member in good standing and haven’t
received a nominations and election form by April 6th, please contact Stephanie
Gray at 312-977-0104 for assistance.
SURVEY STATUS
Chapter 49 Survey Coordinator Cheryl Tolbert has been reviewing material
on how survey issues are being followed-up in Indiana. Under the national
Survey agreement, no part of the IRS is required to report to Chapter 49 on
the status of elevated issues and their resolution (or the lack thereof),
that information is only provided to the workgroups.
Cheryl was quite complimentary of W&I management, which has provided
a status report on outstanding issues and their developments. “We sincerely
appreciate their commitment to the process,” Cheryl said.
But Cheryl tells us that SB/SE is quite another story. “..very little
has been done and very little has been communicated to their workgroups,”
according to Cheryl.
LMSB tells Cheryl “all elevated issues from their team members have been
resolved. Without any feedback from LMSB employees in Indiana, we can
do nothing but accept LMSB’s determination as true, correct and complete.
We have our doubts, but no basis to support them.”
A recent Gallup survey of IRS employees measured workers feelings about
their level of engagement as an employee. Shared Services people felt
most engaged, and Appeals employees felt least engaged.
As we move toward another Survey cycle, Cheryl does not think that solving
problems at the workgroup level has been a success. “Very little that
impacts employee satisfaction can be changed at the workgroup level.”
Cheryl has one message, especially for those that have lost faith in the process…”Take
the survey. No one has gained anything by remaining silent.”
You can read Cheryl’s entire report at our Web site, www.nteu49.org.
SURVEY STATUS
Chapter 49 Survey Coordinator Cheryl Tolbert has been reviewing material
on how survey issues are being followed-up in Indiana. Under the national
Survey agreement, no part of the IRS is required to report to Chapter 49 on
the status of elevated issues and their resolution (or the lack thereof),
that information is only provided to the workgroups.
Cheryl was quite complimentary of W&I management, which has provided
a status report on outstanding issues and their developments. “We sincerely
appreciate their commitment to the process,” Cheryl said.
But Cheryl tells us that SB/SE is quite another story. “..very little
has been done and very little has been communicated to their workgroups,”
according to Cheryl.
LMSB tells Cheryl “all elevated issues from their team members have been
resolved. Without any feedback from LMSB employees in Indiana, we can
do nothing but accept LMSB’s determination as true, correct and complete.
We have our doubts, but no basis to support them.”
A recent Gallup survey of IRS employees measured workers feelings about
their level of engagement as an employee. Shared Services people felt
most engaged, and Appeals employees felt least engaged.
As we move toward another Survey cycle, Cheryl does not think that solving
problems at the workgroup level has been a success. “Very little that
impacts employee satisfaction can be changed at the workgroup level.”
Cheryl has one message, especially for those that have lost faith in the process…”Take
the survey. No one has gained anything by remaining silent.”
You can read Cheryl’s entire report at our Web site, www.nteu49.org.