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AFGE, Local 3937 - Local Membership Meeting September 11th, 2024 Conference Call Present were: John Pfannenstein, Joyce Bybee, Joseph Otterbine, Jamie Turnage, Brian Batchelor and Laura Novakoski. The meeting was held via Zoom conference call with dial-in information posted to the Members section of our Local website. The meeting was called to order at 5:33pm, chaired by John Pfannenstein, Local President. Agenda:
Jackie was not on the call tonight, but has Treasurer’s information available on request. Old Business: None. New Business: Social Security Funding There was a public congressional hearing today before the Senate Finance Committee about Social Security’s longevity, in regards to both its trust fund and administrative funding for our operations. This is the first time in 10 years that we have been able to have a dedicated hearing about our funding. Commissioner Martin O’Malley was called as a witness. He did a good job pushing back against the false rhetoric that allowing employees to telework, and simply not working hard enough, has been the sole cause of our customer service and backlog problems. One of the data graphs that he used is one that the Union created and made sure was available to him. Our workforce is at a 50-year low, despite the ever-growing rise in beneficiaries. There is a significant difference in the funding package that the House (with a $450 million cut) and the Senate (with an increase of a similar amount) support. If Congress were to adopt the House version, it would have a devastating impact on our agency. It could involve a 20-day unpaid furlough, no IT modernizations, and the closure of additional field offices. During a “save money” furlough like this, there is no backpay because it is implemented strictly to help balance the books. We already expect a Continuing Resolution (CR), with flat funding levels, at the end of this month if Congress cannot come to agreement on an annual budget. In the absence of a CR, in a government shutdown, most of us are considered “essential” and must report to work, with a strong expectation that we will eventually be paid (albeit late). There is still the possibility of an anomaly funding vote, where a lack of SSA funding could create an unsafe condition for the nation; it has happened in the past for the IRS, but it may be unlikely for us. Adjudication Time There is an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) pending Agency head approval this week, to allow employees in about 120 pilot offices a 4-hour uninterrupted block of adjudication time weekly, with some details still being worked out. However, they did not take Union advice ahead of time, so there are already problems cropping up. For example, they are proposing adjudication time on a strict schedule that may begin during the flex-band, before some employees even report for duty – and if they aren’t there, they would lose some of the time. If implemented as is, we foresee pointing out the inevitable unfair effects through the grievance process. Reports: John and Laura attended the AFGE National Convention recently, and it was the first time in several years that a small per capita increase was passed to help fund important national programs and staffing that supports the Locals, Districts and Councils. One example is that it will allow the Women’s and Fair Practices Department to hire additional attorneys – they handle all the EEO cases for approximately 350,000 members across the country. We also hope to see additional Local and District support in organizing, and in training our representatives. Open Floor / Miscellaneous: We offered a Q&A session on issues that members brought up during open discussion. Common Calendar The shared calendar system has now expanded from the rest of the nation into Area 2 of the Seattle Region. AFGE has already made a national bargaining demand, but the Local does not have all the details. It does not appear that we would be able to completely reverse the momentum on this program (despite its significant unpopularity and complexity for employees), but we hope to see its implementation and systems smooth out so that we and the public experience less chaos and confusion. If done right, it could succeed and could be used like the SEACloud and A1U remote work programs. Minutes Review: Joseph a motion that we accept the minutes as written and read; Brian seconded. Motion passed. You can stay informed about topics like these and much more by going to www.afge.org to sign up for Action Alerts to be sent via text or email so that you are informed of current legislative and political events – please do so on your personal computer or phone, not on duty time or on Agency equipment. Laura moved to adjourn; Joseph seconded. Motion passed. The meeting ended at 6:25pm. Minutes written and submitted by Laura Novakoski. |
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