May 24, 2002

        

ELECTION RESULTS

The ballots for the election of officers for NTEU Chapter 49 were counted by representatives of the NTEU Chicago Field Office on May 22nd, 2002.  Here are the results of the balloting….


PRESIDENT

Duncan Giles            141

Deborah Robinson     102




VICE PRESIDENT

Susan Wright            154

William Stevens          89     



TREASURER

Brian Kosteck            154

Jerry Watson             85




SECRETARY

Michelle Borders            128

Pam Fruggeiro            113

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GILES FILES

By
Duncan Giles
President
NTEU Chapter 49

This will be short. I just want to say thank you to the members of Chapter 49 for reelecting me. I will work with the other officers elected to try and make this Chapter continue to grow and evolve to best help the IRS employees in the State of Indiana. Thanks again for the confidence you've shown in me and I'll do my best to live up to it.

HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS
TO RISE BIG AGAIN NEXT YEAR

We sincerely wish there was good news to pass along on the health insurance premium scene, but we have to tell you straight—look for more double-digit increases in 2003.  Many large corporations have already announced increases next year in the 20% range.  Experts in the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) program estimate an average increase of just under 14% is expected in 2003.  That “average” could be misleading, since your favorite health care plan could experience premium increases of more or less than that average figure.  The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is currently in private negotiations with the FEHB insurance companies.  The actual rates for each insurance plan won’t be officially announced until late summer.  Just be prepared for another large increase in premiums.         

COLLECTION
CONTRACTING OUT?

It came as quite a surprise when a Congressional subcommittee chairman made an off-hand comment during a recent hearing that IRS was in the process of looking at private contractors to do some of the agency’s collection work.  NTEU National President Colleen Kelley wasted no time in sending a letter to Commissioner Rossotti requesting an explanation, since NTEU had no clue such a proposal was in the works.  This would have to be a legislative change, since current law considers IRS collection work inherently governmental.  NTEU would fight any such proposed law change.  If Congress and IRS have any real interest in collecting more money, our own collection operation just needs the staff and support to narrow the tax collection gap.

NON-FILING SEASON
AGREEMENT ON COVERING THE
COUNTER IS NEARLY DONE

“It’s all over but the shouting.”  That’s what Chapter 49’s lead bargainer Karen McKibben says of the progress toward an agreement on coverage of walk-in (Taxpayer Assistance Centers) counters at PODs in Indiana.  A system of determining which person must staff the counter will be part of the agreement.  The subject that took a great deal of work was security.  “It was the one area that there had to be a distinction made regarding the physical layout of the walk-in areas,” Karen sid.  Here’s Karen’s description of how the document will handle the security issue...   

“In POD’s without secure counters (ceiling to floor), the office will have at least two personnel on duty at all times the office is open to the public. W&I and SB/SE management will ensure one employee from each function. The SB/SE employee will not be required to work the counter unless there is an unplanned event and another employee is in the POD.  As more PODs have the new counters installed, these security restrictions will no longer apply.”

Read Karen’s complete description of the situation at www.nteu49.org.