Friday, December 28, 2012

2013 Federal Employee pay raise

Article Title: New AFGE president suggests retroactive pay raise for feds

Snippet of Article: "...Obama announced earlier this week that he would use his authority to grant federal employees the across-the-board 0.5 percent pay raise he had proposed for 2013, but only after Congress passes a budget. ..."

Source: www.govexec.com 2013 Federal Employee pay raise

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Federal employee furloughs not expected for civilian defense workforce

Article Title: Officials say WPAFB temporary layoffs might be 'unavoidable' in budgets

Snippet of Article: "...job furloughs for the civilian defense workforce won’t be used right away if a deal is not struck this week to avert the fiscal cliff, but the Pentagon’s top leader said temporary layoffs later might be unavoidable...."

Source: www.journal-news.com

Monday, December 24, 2012

Contractors first to feel fiscal cliff dive

Article Title: Sequestration already hitting contractors

Snippet of Article: "...the threat of draconian budget cuts has caused federal agencies to realize new priorities, alter their procurement strategies, add scrutiny to their spending and — through collaboration with industry — seek ways to reduce waste and increase efficiency. Months of this kind of planning won’t end if sequestration dies...."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Sunday, December 23, 2012

President Obama gives Federal Employees Christmas Eve Off

Article Title: President gives federal workers day off work for Christmas Eve

Snippet of Article: "...President Obama on Friday signed an executive order giving federal employees a day off work for Christmas Eve, which falls on Monday this year. ..."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Furloughs for federal employees as a last resort

Article Title: Furloughs could result from sequestration as last resort, administration says

Snippet of Article: "...plans to inform federal employees that furloughs could result as a last resort if the White House and Congress do not come to an agreement..."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com Federal Employee furloughs

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

This is how the USPS treats those that serve our country

Article Title: Guardsman ordered reinstated by Postal Service with back pay

Snippet of Article: "...USPS continued to pursue the case even after Erickson won two decisions before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. When the USPS refused to reinstate Erickson in 2000, the father of three from Ft. Meyers, Fla., re-enlisted in the National Guard and deployed to Afghanistan as part of a Special Forces team. He has received over 35 medals and decorations..."

Source: www.stripes.com

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Postmaster General Earns Almost As Much As the President

Article Title: Postal chief's $384,000 pay sparks call for cut

Snippet of Article: "...The chief of the struggling U.S. Postal Service received $384,229 in compensation last year -- and at least one lawmaker thinks he should take a paycut...."

Source: money.cnn.com

Monday, December 17, 2012

virtual workplace flexibility toolkit launched by DOL

Article Title: DOL launches virtual workplace flexibility toolkit

Snippet of Article: "...Department of Labor launched its online Workplace Flexibility Toolkit to provide employees, jobseekers, employers, policymakers, and researchers with information, resources, and a unique approach to workplace flexibility, including leave issues. ..."

Source: blr.com Workplace Flexibility Toolkit

Friday, December 14, 2012

Things TSA found in baggage this week

Article Title: TSA Week in Review: A Roundup of the Prohibited Items Discovered This Week

Snippet of Article: "...It’s important to check your bags prior to traveling. If a prohibited item is discovered in your bag, you could be cited and possibly arrested by local law enforcement. Here are a few examples from this week where prohibited items were found in strange places. ..."

Source: tsa.gov

Congress gotta get home for Christmas before screwing over Social Security and Medicare

Article Title: Congress: Merry Christmas, suckers

Snippet of Article: "...Speaker John Boehner told members to go home for Christmas but be back the next day. (Congress = The Bart Simpson who stole Christmas?)..."

Source: firstread.nbcnews.com

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Federal worker fatally shoots self inside Alabama courthouse

Article Title: Federal employee fatally shoots self inside Alabama courthouse

Snippet of Article: "...Police say a federal employee is dead after shooting himself inside the city's main federal court building in Birmingham...."

Source: www.foxnews.com

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Obama Administration Increases Solid Federal Jobs, Many Taking Care of Military Personnel

Article Title: Drudge Ignores That Many New Federal Employees Take Care Of Veterans

Snippet of Article: "...the increase in federal jobs are a result of defense spending, including an increase in hiring associated with caring for military personnel returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Examining claims about increased federal employment, PolitiFact found that "all told, national defense, assisting veterans, and protecting the national borders account for close to 90% of all federal civilian employee growth." ..."

Source: mediamatters.org

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Federal government’s heaviest smoker

Article Title: Booze, smokes focus of quirky federal agency

Snippet of Article: "...These are the scientists, rule-makers and trade ambassadors of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, one of the federal government’s least-known and most peculiar corners...."

Source: www.delawareonline.com

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Federal Agencies to Protect Indian Sacred Sites

Article Title: Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, and Interior Sign Memorandum to Collaborate to Protect Indian Sacred Sites

Snippet of Article: "..."Protecting America's air and water and our nation's heritage is an important part of the Energy Department's commitment to Tribal Nations across the country, particularly those that are neighbors to the Department's National Laboratories, sites and facilities," said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. "I look forward to continuing this important work and collaborating with other federal agencies and Tribal Nations to protect Indian sacred sites throughout the United States." ..."

Source: www.usda.gov

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

GOP still pushing for federal employee pay freezes and reductions

Article Title: House GOP continues to push federal employee pay and benefits reforms

Snippet of Article: "... House GOP leaders on Monday reiterated their belief that reductions to federal employees’ compensation should be part of a deal to decrease the deficit. Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio,..."

Source: www.govexec.com

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Postal Service awards $30m contract to firm it is suing for $390m

Article Title: USPS awards $30m contract to firm it is suing for $390m

Snippet of Article: "...The US Postal Service has awarded a $30m contract to Northrop Grumman Corporation at the same time it is attempting to sue the company over breaches of another contract, seeking a nine-figure sum...."

Source: postandparcel.info Postal Service, why is the Postal Service going broke?,

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Did the $5.9 million federal gun grant do any good?

Article Title: Did the $5.9 million federal gun grant make region safer?

Snippet of Article: "...eight Northern Ohio cities with a $5.9 million grant and the creation of an Ohio Gun Crime Center. The Justice Department gave the grant to the group, which included Cleveland, Akron, Toledo, Youngstown, Lorain, Elyria, Canton, Mansfield and state and federal agencies...."

Source: www.cleveland.com

Friday, November 30, 2012

GOP’s Sen. Bob Corker proposes cuts to federal workforce

Article Title: Union slams proposed cuts to federal workforce from GOP’s Sen. Bob Corker

Snippet of Article: "...the proposals, which Corker has shared with Congressional leaders and the White House, do not represent serious solutions for avoiding the fiscal cliff. He criticized the plan for “relying heavily on federal workforce cuts.”..."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

NASA workers most satisfied federal employees

Article Title: NASA workers are most satisfied federal employees

Snippet of Article: "..."Stresses on public servants - including continued tight budgets and pay freezes - are reflected in our Global Satisfaction indicator, even while more than two-thirds of employees recommend their organization as a good place to work," says Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry, in a letter attached to the survey results. ..."

Source: www.wtop.com

Monday, November 26, 2012

Fiscal cliff divers should be prepared for jump in defense sector

Article Title: Levin: Defense employees should be worried about sequestration

Snippet of Article: "...Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) warned on Sunday that those employed in the defense industry should be worried about the possibility of sequestration...."

Source: www.politico.com

Thursday, November 15, 2012

New Federal employee whistle blower Law will strengthen protections

Article Title: New whistleblower law will significantly strengthen federal employee protections

Snippet of Article: "...The legislation provides millions of federal workers with the rights they need to safely report government corruption and wrongdoing. "After a 13 year rollercoaster campaign..."

Source: www.climatesciencewatch.org Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Government Liquidation (GL): surplus and scrap assets of the United States Department of Defense

Article Title: Government Liquidation (GL): surplus and scrap assets of the United States Department of Defense

Snippet of Article: "...Government Liquidation (GL), a Liquidity Services, Inc. marketplace is the exclusive contractor of the DLA Disposition Services for the sale of surplus and scrap assets of the United States Department of Defense (DOD). GL operates an innovative and powerful online sales channel that enables surplus buyers to purchase available government assets in a convenient and open environment. GL utilizes world-class logistics, technology, marketing and customer service capabilities to assemble and promotes available property for the convenience of its buyers. With over 500 different commodity categories and thousands of surplus items added weekly to our inventory,..."

Source: www.govliquidation.com Government surplus,

TSA employees overwhelmingly ratify contract

Article Title: TSA Workers Ratify First Union Contract

Snippet of Article: "...“This agreement will mean better working conditions, fair evaluation practices and safer workplaces, and in doing so, it will improve morale. This is important because low morale leads to unsafe levels of attrition in an agency where a stable, professional workforce of career employees is vital to its national security mission...."

Source: www.afge.org

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Petraeus affair leads to FBI search

Article Title: FBI says agents at the home of Petraeus' lover

Snippet of Article: "...FBI agents are at the North Carolina home of the woman whose affair with retired general David Petraeus led to his resignation as CIA director...."

Source: www.usatoday.com

Monday, November 12, 2012

Was Petraeus affair a security breach?

Article Title: Friend: Petraeus began affair after taking CIA job

Snippet of Article: "...Concerned that emails Petraeus exchanged with Broadwell raised the possibility of a security breach, the FBI brought the matter up with him directly, according to the official..."

Source: www.chicagotribune.com Petraeus

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

WARN Act: What is it?

Article Title: The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act

Snippet of Article: "...WARN offers protection to workers, their families and communities by requiring employers to provide notice 60 days in advance of covered plant closings and covered mass layoffs. This notice must be provided to either affected workers or their representatives (e.g., a labor union); to the State dislocated worker unit; and to the appropriate unit of local government...."

Source: www.doleta.gov WARN Act

Monday, November 5, 2012

Time to review healthcare and insurance at OPM.gov

Article Title: Time to review healthcare and insurance at OPM.gov

Snippet of Article: "...Federal employees, retirees and survivors can choose coverage from the widest selection of health plans in the country. ..."

Source: www.opm.gov

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Sequestration, the WARN Act and Federal employees (Iowa)

Article Title: WARN Act: Sequestration gives layoff law a day in the sun

Snippet of Article: "...Job loss estimates due to sequestration include 48,059 jobs in health care, 98,953 in construction, 473,250 in manufacturing and 617,449 federal positions...."

Source: thegazette.com WARN Act

Thursday, November 1, 2012

federal agencies and organizations that service federal employees are beginning to reopen

Article Title: What's closed and what's open for federal employees?

Snippet of Article: "...Federal government buildings in the D.C. area will reopen Wednesday, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Unscheduled leave and telework will be in effect...."

Source: www.federalnewsradio.com

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Non-emergency federal employees will be granted excused absence Monday in Washington, DC, Area

Article Title: Non-emergency federal employees will be granted excused absence Monday in Washington, DC, Area

Snippet of Article: "...Non-emergency employees (including employees on pre-approved paid leave) will be granted excused absence (administrative leave) for the number of hours they were scheduled to work unless they..."

Source: Federal Employee News

Friday, October 26, 2012

Ryan theme: Reliance on the federal government is bad

Article Title: Ryan’s Family Firm Gains From Government Spending He Criticizes

Snippet of Article: "...Paul Ryan, the Republican vice presidential candidate, may reprise a favorite campaign theme in his debate with Vice President Joe Biden tonight: Reliance on the federal government is bad...."

Source: www.businessweek.com Paul Ryan,

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Baggage worker allegedly steals $20,000 from Federal Reserve

Article Title: Airport Worker Charged with Stealing from $96 Million Federal Reserve Shipment


Snippet of Article: "...An airport baggage handler allegedly pilfered a tiny fraction of the $96 million shipment of cash being hauled to New Jersey..."
Source: time.com

Your Job and the Election

Article Title: Obama extends pay freeze on federal workers

Snippet of Article: "...President Obama plans to extend the pay freeze for federal workers through next March, and then they would get a meager 0.5% increase...."

Source: cnn.com

The election and your job

Article Title: Romney-Ryan would target federal workers

Snippet of Article: "...Both Romney and Ryan have made it clear that they think federal workers are one reason the nation's deficit is too high, and have talked about shrinking payrolls and cutting benefits...."

Source: cnn.com Romney, Ryan,

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

USAJOBS Top Ten FAQ

Article Title: USAJOBS Top Ten FAQ

Bone up on your USAJOBS knowledge to advance your career, change jobs, or to learn information to assist your family and friends get federal employment.

Source: usajobs.gov

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Twenty Seven (27) pay periods for federal employees this year

Article Title: Federal employees will have 27 pay periods in 2012

Snippet of Article: "...Nearly all federal civilian employees will have an extra pay period for leave accrual this year. According to a memo from Angela Bailey, OPM’s Associate Director for Employee Services, the leave year for most federal employees began on January 1, 2012 and will end on January 12, 2013...."

Source: www.asmconline.org

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

2013 Federal Employee Retirement COLA announced

Article Title: Federal retirement COLA of 1.7 percent announced

Snippet of Article: "...Federal retirees will receive an inflation adjustment of 1.7 percent in January, translating to about a $50 increase in the average monthly payment under the annuity program for most of them...."

Source: www.washingtonpost.com Federal Retirement COLA 2013

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Excused Absence for Voting

Article Title: Excused Absence for Voting

Snippet of Article: "...This memorandum provides agencies with information on the Federal Government’s longstanding policy of granting employees limited time off from work (i.e., excused absence) to vote in Federal, State, county, or municipal elections, or in referendums on any civic matter in their community. The head of each agency (or his or her designee) has discretion to grant excused absence in limited circumstances under his or her broad authority to govern, unless otherwise prohibited by law. Agencies have discretionary authority to grant excused absence to the extent that such time off does not interfere with agency operations, including the ability to adjust policies to circumstances as they unfold. Typically, polling places throughout the United States are open for extended periods of time, and an increasing number of jurisdictions are offering early voting options. Therefore, excused absence should rarely be needed.Agencies should consider the following guidelines when creating their policies on excused absence for voting in the upcoming election...."

Source: www.chcoc.gov

Monday, October 1, 2012

2012 APWU early retirement incentive approved

Article Title: APWU, USPS Negotiate Retirement Incentive

Snippet of Article: "...The APWU has negotiated a retirement incentive agreement that awards eligible full-time career employees a $15,000 payment in two installments, President Cliff Guffey has announced. The first installment will be $10,000; the second will be $5,000...."

Source: www.apwu.org 2012 early retirement, APWU retirement incentive,

The White House Cyber Attack That Really Wasn't ...or was it?

Article Title: White House Hack Attack

Snippet of Article: "...“In this instance the attack was identified, the system was isolated, and there is no indication whatsoever that any exfiltration of data took place,” the official said. The official said there was no impact or attempted breach of a classified system within the office...."

Source: freebeacon.com White House cyber attack, cyber spearphishing,