CREA Board of Governors Meeting Minutes
In attendance on January 17, 2018:
| Governors Karma Ester, DSP Joel Greene, RSI Carol Hardy-Vincent, RSI Cathi Jones, FDT Betty-Jean Oladapo, OPS Brian Reeder, COU Jessica Tollestrup, DSP |
Officers Clint Brass, Treasurer Michael Martin, Vice President Libby Perl, Secretary Susan Thaul, President |
Stewards and Others Wanda Almanzar Randy Schnepf, Steward, RSI |
Minutes: The Board approved minutes from the January 3, 2018 board meeting.
Episodic Off-Site Work for Weather-Related Emergencies: The board discussed the lack of clarity in CRS’s policy on episodic off-site work for weather-related emergencies. President Thaul said the officers had discussed talking to the director of the newly-combined CRS congressional programs and communications officer, Stephen Dagadakis, about communication around this policy.
Potential Government Shutdown: President Thaul said that the Library’s email about a potential shutdown left open the possibility of changing telephone and email out-of-office messages on the day before a potential shutdown or from home rather than having to report to the office on day one of a shutdown. This is a change from the first Library email regarding a potential shutdown, sent on December 6, 2017, which stated that “all staff will be required to report to work” to conduct an orderly shutdown. This change in wording occurred after President Thaul raised the issue with the Library.
Upcoming Trainings: President Thaul let members of the board know about two upcoming trainings. (1)
The International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers (IFPTE), the union in which CREA is a member, is hosting a federal training in DC on February 27, 2018. Topics to be covered include negotiations, grievance, arbitration, and mediation. There is no cost for the training. (2) The Legislative Branch’s Office of Compliance (OCC) is having an educational forum for legislative branch labor organizations, tentatively on March 7, 2018. [Note: after the CREA board meeting, OCC changed the date to March 12.]
Vice President Martin said that he would be meeting with stewards next Wednesday, January 24, 2018, at noon.
Meeting of Union Presidents with the Librarian: President Thaul reported on the meeting that she and the presidents of the other two Library unions had with the Librarian. A number of members of the Library’s Human Resources office were also in attendance. Among the topics discussed were transportation for volunteers at Tyler Elementary School, internal staff advancement, the “Envisioning” project, and performance appraisals and promotion.
CRS Communications Advisory Group Report: President Thaul, in her monthly meeting with CRS director Mary Mazanec, asked how the director intended to respond to the report of the Communications Advisory Group, prepared at her request. Director Mazanec did not commit to meeting with the group or indicate whether she would accept any of the recommendations.