Among the issues he addressed were telework, COOP planning, outside speaking and writing concerns, and labor-management relations. In a limited question and answer period following his testimony, Chairwoman Wasserman Schultz focused on telework. She asked about the differences between management and union proposals, and asked whether management’s proposal only allowed telework on fixed days. When President Roth replied only fixed days, the Chairwoman went on to ask whether it allowed employees with home emergencies to work from home, or whether it allowed for employees to work from home during the recent snow closures. President Roth informed the Chairwoman that it did not.

At the end of a Roll Call report about the hearing, a “troubled” Ms. Wasserman Schultz was quoted as saying, “CRS doesn’t appear to be taking the directive [the FY2010 appropriation report language] seriously…I’m frustrated because we were very specific about what they needed to make happen.” She added that she must still hear the agency’s side of the story.

Read President Roth’s complete testimony.

This program is the same as the program proposed to CREA in October. Then and now, CREA considers the program more restrictive than necessary. Our bargaining team is still negotiating to develop a better program (for details, see telework update of December 12 at http://creaunion.org/2009/12/14/telework-negotiation-update-crea-in-mediation-with-crs-management/).

Among the changes we are working to include are the following.

1. The ability to grieve inappropriate denials of telework.
2. The ability to participate in telework while on a compflex schedule.
3. The ability to request a substitute telework day if required to report to the Library on your regularly scheduled telework day
4. When appropriate, the ability to telework up to two days per week.
5. The assurance that the Director cannot make any changes to the program without negotiating them.

None of these are included in the program announced by the Director for non-bargaining-unit employees.

While progress has been made in negotiating, certain important issues remain; CREA and CRS met with a mediator during December and January. Three more sessions have been scheduled in early February. If we cannot resolve our differences, the mediator will declare impasse and the matter will be forwarded to the Federal Service Impasses Panel for a final determination.

The negotiating team and CREA’s Board of Governors remain committed to resolving the outstanding differences quickly and providing CRS bargaining unit members with a model telework program.

Deadline: Friday, January 29, 2010

If you have outstanding student loans, or wish to pursue career-related education, please consider applying for support from the CREA Scholarship and Loan Repayment Grant Program. Guidelines and applications are available at the links below.

Guidelines for Eligibility
Scholarship Application Form
Loan Grant Application Form

To apply, please print the appropriate application, complete and sign it, and bring it to the CREA office in LM 412 by COB Friday, January 29.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call or e-mail a member of the Scholarship and Loan Repayment Grant Committee.

D. Andrew Austin, 7-6552
Carol Hardy-Vincent, 7-8651
Vastine Platte, 7-7975
Mallary Stouffer, 7-8767
Sibyl Tilson, 7-7368