Fighting Ghosts

I remember hearing my Dad complain about "fighting a ghost." What he meant was he didn't know who he was in combat with…he just knew he was fighting someone or something. Well as I prepare to represent our bargaining unit employees I feel the same way.

I am presently preparing for negotiations with Management over the Compensation Agreement for the next three years. FDIC Management's has proposed, limiting pay increases to no more than 3% (regardless of the raises recommended by Congress which may exceed 3%), eliminating the 5% matching contribution to the FDIC Savings Plan unless NTEU agrees to the 3% restriction on pay increases, restricting promotion increases of pay to 8% (this is down from 10% where it is now), increasing your health insurance premiums to 28% with no additional benefit (up from 15% where it is now), reducing the relocation miscellaneous expense allowance incrementally to 3.5% (from 10% where it is now), and eliminating the Travel Subgroup of the Senior Executive Council (leaving the travel regulations in the sole control of management to dictate travel policy). This all comes from the FDIC who has made a slogan out of the phrase they "want to be the employer of choice"

NTEU has made its proposal based on truly making our agency" "the preferred employer of choice." " NTEU has proposed basing our pay on the higher of the increase to the government General Schedule, or the prior years average FIRREA increase, a sliding scale of merit pay increases with 10 levels ranging from 1.5% for a 2.0 rating to 5% for a 3.0 rating, maintaining the current 10% increase for promotions, maintaining the current 85% health insurance premium contribution by the FDIC, maintaining the 5% matching contribution on the FDIC Savings Plan with FDIC paying the currently hidden administrative costs associated with the plan and chartering a Savings Plan Committee to evaluate alternatives to the T. Rowe Price plan, improving dental and vision plans to cover annual eye exams and expanding dental coverage, expanding Child Care subsidy to include Elder Care as well, increasing the Child/Elder Care subsidy to $100 per month, provide transit subsidies to employees not eligible to receive commuting expense reimbursement, and relocation benefits extended to all members of the employee's household while maintaining the current benefits package.

If the FDIC is really concerned that "one out of every six employees is eligible to retire in the next five years," and they will need to "conserve and replenish our institutional knowledge and expertise," wouldn't you think it would make sense to expand the benefits rather than eliminate them? The FDIC has stated, they "must develop a reputation as a place where people want to work," and they "have to retain current highly-trained employees." These are their words, not mine. Just open the "Diversity Strategic Plan" and read the first page.

Well, if upper FDIC management has the commitment to the employees I have suggested, then who exactly are we fighting? Just exactly who is this ghost? All our employees are affected by the same travel regulations, Division Directors have stated publicly they don't want the employees to travel on their own time, but yet we're subjected to treatment, concerning travel, that doesn't promote an "employer of choice", nor a "family friendly" environment. If I take FDIC spokespeople at their word, and I do, then who is the ghost that keeps wanting to chisel away at employee benefits?

If you are interested in the details of the proposals submitted by FDIC and NTEU see one of our Chapter Stewards or Officers for a copy. By the way…they'll have the information available for you to join our Chapter too!