Congressional Research Employees Association

CREA and CRS management are negotiating a congressionally mandated telework policy. In its FY2010 CRS appropriation, the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Legislative Branch included language instructing the Director to “adopt and implement…a telework program modeled on the Library’s existing system.” The Subcommittee expected that CRS should have its new telework policy in effect no later than January 1, 2010.

On October 14, 2009, approximately four months after the bill was reported, CRS management presented its initial proposal to CREA. After negotiating over a 15-day period, including three exchanges of proposals and counterproposals, CREA and CRS management called in a federal mediator. CREA and CRS met with the mediator on December 9 and 10. Additional meetings are scheduled for December 16, 17, and 18. If the mediator determines that the two sides have reached an impasse, the matter will be forwarded to the Federal Service Impasses Panel.

A number of important differences are evident at this point in negotiations; these include the following.

1. CRS has proposed that an employee may request to work from home on a regular basis up to 1 day each week in a pay period. That day would be fixed. An employee may not request a different day, if  the employee is asked, or the employee decides, to come to the Library for work-related reasons on his/her regularly scheduled telework day .

CREA is seeking a more flexible program. CREA has proposed that employees be permitted to request a change in their scheduled telework day for work-related reasons. CREA also has proposed an additional option that would allow employees to occasionally request to work from home when appropriate for such reasons as weather or when a doctor’s appointment makes commuting back and forth to the Library impractical. CREA also favors the possibility for staff in certain jobs to telework up to 2 days each week in a pay period. 

2. The CRS proposal does not allow an employee to telework and participate in compflex.  CREA proposes employees on compflex be allowed to telework.

3. The CRS proposal does not allow an employee to grieve a decision that denies, suspends, or terminates a telework arrangement. CREA proposes that such decisions be grievable.

The purpose of the current mediation is to try to get the parties to move closer together and avoid the step of calling in the Federal Service Impasse Panel.

CREA is committed to resolving these issues in mediation, in time to meet the Subcommittee’s deadline. It is also committed to bargaining for a flexible program that maximizes service to Congress while helping balance home-life demands.

CREA is also committed to ensuring that future changes to the conditions and policies governing telework be negotiated.

CREA will keep the bargaining unit informed about telework negotiation with postings on this website. Please feel free to send comments to the CREA office through the website or via e-mail (crea@crs.loc.gov).

CREA invites all bargaining unit members to attend a lunchtime talk by Janemarie Mulvey, Specialist in Aging Policy in DSP, on recent changes to the Federal long-term-care insurance program. 

The changes include a new benefit package, but also premium increases for two-thirds of current enrollees.

Expanding on a previous seminar, Ms. Mulvey will discuss in more detail the impact these changes will have on current and future enrollees.

The talk will be Thursday, December 10, from 1:00 to 2:00, in the West Dining Room.

CREA looks forward to seeing you there.

 
At the end of October, CREA was given proposed changes to CRS’s “Inquiries from the Public” guidelines. Management wanted to require that staff forward all inquiries to the Office of Communication, which would send out a neutral reply, declining any requests for information or assistance. The proposed guidelines did not give staff the discretion to ignore requests or delete e-mails.

CREA’s Board believed that staff need flexibility in managing these inquiries and voted to request bargaining on the issue. Management agreed to provide an additional option rather than requiring staff to forward the inquiries. As listed in today’s Tuesday Morning Update, the guidelines add the option of forwarding unwanted inquiries to COM, but retain the option to delete them. insider.crs.gov/tmu/issues/20091110.shtml#fromthedirector

CREA is glad to report success engaging management in seeking a mutually acceptable approach. The result was a flexible method to deal with non-congressional inquiries. We appreciate Management’s willingness to listen and respond to staff concerns.

Representative Stephen Lynch speaking at CREA's annual meeting.

The highlight of CREA’s 34th annual meeting was a keynote address given by the Hon. Stephen Lynch (Massachusetts).  The meeting is an annual gathering for the entire membership of the organization, as well as invited guests.

Representative Lynch is the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Post Office, and the District of Columbia. He spoke about his extensive experience with unions during his time as an ironworker, which culminated in his becoming president of his union local. 

The Congressman was highly complimentary of the work done by CRS personnel, which he said he and his staff depend on nearly every day. After his speech, Representative Lynch took questions from the attendees and encouraged the group to bring their issues and problems to his attention.

Representative Lynch then swore in the newly elected officers and governors of CREA. 

CREA outgoing officers then reported on past year accomplishments and expectations for next year.  The new CREA Scholarship and Loan Grant program was announced, as well as the opening of the “CREA Café,” a coffee house for members on Thursday afternoons.

The meeting concluded with time for socializing over snacks and beverages provided by CREA.