MAY 5, 2002
GILES FILES
by
Duncan Giles
President
NTEU
Chapter 49
On this and that. In the Field and Indy HQ we are just about finished
wrapping up the non-filing season support agreement. Look for an update
on our Web site—www.nteu49.org—by May 5th from Karen McKibben on what has
changed from the past. We think it will work a little more smoothly
from now on.
On the Exam side of things, the re-engineering project is going swimmingly
as expected (which is to say not very well). We are hopeful that the
cries of protest from NTEU and lower level managers who know this is unworkable
(as is) will be heard before implementation is started.
On ROs, don’t believe what rumors are being reported to me about grade levels
dropping. It’s not going to happen. What they are looking at is
possibly using some private collection on CNC accounts. Does anyone
else have déjà vu? It didn’t work before and it won’t
this time either if they go through with it.
At the Call Site, we are still awaiting the air quality results back (hopefully
by the end of May) to see where we go from here.
I also want to take an opportunity to welcome James Johnson to the Call
Site as Mary O’Donnell’s replacement. I think he will do well for the
management and employees alike.
We have had to furlough some seasonals at the Call Site due to budget constraints
and it wouldn’t surprise me to see that grieved nationally (it’s happening
all over the country) as that’s not a reason under our national agreements
to do so.
Time for steward kudos. This time thanks go out to Kellie Baldwin,
Sabrina Barton, Delores Bell, Teresa Bohnert, Anne Brown, Scott Carder, Dean
Crawford, Pam Fruggeiro, Mike Keethers, Shawn Kennedy, Brian Kosteck, April
Lopez-Roque, Karen McKibben, Fred Mecum, Clarence Mullins, Bill Stevens, Cheryl
Tolbert, Donna Wolfe and last but certainly not least Susan Wright.
That’s it or now.
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IRS OVERSIGHT BOARD
RRA ’98 created an oversight board to help manage the Internal Revenue Service.
The board is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
The law requires one board member to be a representative of IRS employees.
The board’s current employee representative is former NTEU National President
Bob Tobias. Tobias has been keeping our current National President Colleen
Kelley updated on the board’s activities. Here are some of the
issues currently before the oversight panel.
—Unanticipated expenses such as security and higher postage costs are contributing
to IRS budget problems. The biggest problem comes from the fact that
the Congress did not fund the additional pay raise for employees, meaning
the agency is forced to find $161.7 million for the current fiscal year.
Another issue is the domino effect of not hiring the number of people this
fiscal year that had been planned. The lack of hiring in fiscal 2002
can have a major impact on the hiring (or lack thereof) in fiscal year 2003.
—RRA ‘98 gives the oversight board the job of submitting names to the president
for consideration as the next IRS Commissioner. After hiring a search
firm, there have been few volunteers knocking down the door to apply for the
job. To quote the search firm, “It is much tougher to find qualified
candidates than we had anticipated.” But some qualified candidates have
come forward, and the oversight board has been interviewing them. It
must be noted that the president is not legally bound to consider only candidates
submitted by the board, but it is hoped that he will do so. President
Bush is expected to submit a name to Congress by the end of May so the Senate
will have time to complete the confirmation process by the time Commissioner
Rossotti’s term expires in November.
—What was described as a “frank” discussion took place between the board
and the main modernization contractor, Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC).
The company assured the board that the first large infrastructure project
(CADE) will be implemented and tested in time for the next tax filing season.
The oversight board is scheduled to meet again July 29-30. This panel
usually meets in private, so the only information we are able to receive comes
from board news releases, and board member Bob Tobias’ reports to Colleen
Kelley.
GLIMMER OF HOPE
ON THE
HEALTH INSURANCE
SCENE
At one time the FEHB (Federal Employee Health Benefits program) was considered
a model program that some wanted to use for a universal health insurance system.
You don’t hear that kind of talk these days. Premiums have shot through
the roof, particularly in the last several years. Representative Connie
Morella of Maryland has introduced a bill that would increase the government’s
average share of the health insurance premium from the current 72% to 76%.
At this point, every little bit helps. We’ll watch the progress of
this legislation.
YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR
ELECTION BALLOT
By the time you read this, Chapter 49 members should have received their
ballots in the mail. Please don’t forget to vote. Also, read the
instructions carefully when casting your ballot and mailing it in.