reflections 2014 - afge national va...

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zation, our strength is formidable.

The Committee met their goal and continues to

add new members, making NVAC the strongest

Council within AFGE. CONGRATULATIONS!

The NVAC Communications Committee is re-

sponsible for maintaining an information con-

nection with Local Presidents and membership

on many issues and topics. This connection is

maintained through a variety of media, both

print and electronic, including President’s

Briefings, the NVAC Website, Newsletters, De-

mands to Bargain, important Grievances, Legisla-

tive matters and other vital information.

As more and more members are able to access

the Web, and because it is feasible to keep infor-

mation more current online, the Committee ex-

pects to rely more heavily on the NVAC Website

as an outlet for future communication. Mem-

bers are encouraged to bookmark the site at

www.afgenvac.org.

Local Presidents and members are asked to as-

sist the Communications Committee by provid-

ing news articles and topics of interest for our

Newsletter and webpage, to include ways to

improve communications.

The activities of the NVAC Legislative Committee

and its two lobbyists, Marilyn Park and Mike Ros-

enblatt, fiercely represent the rights of VA front

line employees.

2014 saw the start of AFGE and NVAC's Legisla-

tive and Political Coordinator (LPC) program,

where every Local is tasked with finding a coordi-

nator. We now have over 120 LPCs working to

push the Council's legislative and political agen-

REFLECTIONS 2014

Dear NVAC Leaders,

As we reflect on this year, we are thankful for the

victories and the challenges. It has been a busy

year and we have achieved so much. One of our

greatest accomplishments was obtaining 100,000+

members. NVAC remains, by far, the largest Coun-

cil within the American Federation of Government

Employees.

Our hard working Local leaders banded together to

sign up new members. The key organizing topics

included increased staffing levels, whistleblower

retaliation and increased funding for duties related

to Veteran care. The NVAC Organizing Committee,

led by NVAC President Alma Lee and Barbara Whit-

son - Casanova, had a record breaking year, increas-

ing membership from 95,000 in 2013 to 100,000+

dues paying members in 2014. With this number

of dues paying members backing the NVAC organi-

J a n u a r y, 2 0 1 5

Our Progress Continues...

NVAC passes the 100,000 dues paying member mark

http://www.afgenvac.org

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da. NVAC also organized two successful rallies in

Durham and Fayetteville, NC and focused on the poor

management policies in District 4 including downgrades,

an inability to work with labor, and the recent closure of

the Fayetteville VAMC's emergency room.

Prior to the eruption of the all-consuming VA wait list

scandal in April 2014, NVAC worked behind the scenes

to educate the public and the VSOs about the flaws in

proposals to weaken the due process rights of SES em-

ployees. Next, NVAC worked tirelessly and successfully

to block a proposal by the House VA Democratic leader-

ship to weaken pay protections and due process of VA

physicians and dentists.

NVAC continued its campaign for full Title 38 bargaining

rights in 2014; we secured support for both Senate and

House bills to strike all three exclusions to bargaining in

the law. A number of freshman members of Congress

joined our prior supporters in standing up for equal bar-

gaining rights. The NVAC also presented the 7422 dilem-

ma to the new VA Secretary Bob McDonald, and pro-

posed new agency policy changes which we will contin-

ue to pursue in 2015.

When CNN broke the first wait list scandal report On

April 23rd, NVAC immediately began an intense cam-

paign to educate the Hill and the public about the root

cause of wait list gaming at many facilities: Chronic

short staffing of providers and support personnel. We

provided critical input to the bill sponsored by Senate VA

Committee Chairman Sanders, and later drafts that were

incorporated into the final overhaul law, the Veterans

Choice Act. During the intense period of House and Sen-

ate hearings and medical center audits that led up to the

Choice Act, NVAC worked closely with AFGE General

Counsel.

Thanks to the tireless work of National VA Council, the

Veterans Choice Act included nearly $5 billion in emer-

gency funding (new dollars to hire 28,000 new FTEs)

and increase clinic space. We won some restrictions

on the temporary expansion of contract care (must

use Medicare providers and federal entities in most

cases). NVAC also succeeded in blocking a total ban on

Title 5 bonuses; instead, the law has an annual dollar

cap and we were successful, ensuring a fair share of

bonuses for lower paid employees.

We will continue to closely monitor the implementa-

tion of the Veterans’ Choice Act, and share reports on

staffing, panel size, and other access-related data with

the Department and Veterans’ groups.

NVAC ended its health-care legislative work with a

great win for our hardworking nurses, declaring our

first Federal Nurses Week and secured a House of Rep-

resentatives resolution recognizing our important new

holiday.

We also sent letters of support to Senate leadership

about S.932, Putting Veterans Funding First Act of

2013, that extends advance appropriations (which pro-

vides more stable adequate funding) for VHA, VBA,

NCA, Research and IT.

First Federal Nurses Week

Durham, NC Rally

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In July 2014, the Mid-Term Bargaining Committee

wished Ms. Stephanie M. Starks, President AFGE Lo-

cal 1793, Vice President Council #264 and NVAC Na-

tional Representative, well in her future endeavors as

she embarked in her new position and welcomed the

appointment of Terrence J. Watts, President AFGE

Local 507 and 5th District Representative Council

#179. Mr. Watts made a very good first impression

on VA management officials at our October Quarterly

Mid-Term Bargaining Session. The Mid-Term Com-

mittee has responded to over 147 Department ac-

tions which include National Demands to Bargain,

approval/disapproval of surveys/ questionnaires and

VISN level Demands to Bargain and approv-

al/disapproval of surveys/ questionnaires.

The Mid-Term Committee would like to thank every-

one for the information provided and support this

calendar year.

The Title 38 Mid-Term Bargaining Committee consist

of dedicated members (Jeffrey Sladek, RN, Chair; Bar-

bara Whitson-Casanova, RN; Kathleen Pachomski ,RN;

Diane Clines, NP; and David Mollett, RN) who have

dealt with proposed changes involving the incorpora-

tion of technology into how to document the delivery

of care and the pharmaceuticals to be administered.

MOU’S in the areas of bar code administration of

medicines and documentation of care for hemodialy-

sis patients as well as the administration of blood

products. We anticipate that this trend will continue

and the agency will incorporate new software prod-

ucts to streamline documentation. MOU’s have also

been put in concerning Behavioral Health, Utilization

Management, Community Health, Physician Assis-

tants and Telemetry ICU. We are currently address-

ing the issues of Nurse Practitioner patient panel sizes

and Physician’s administrative work week. In addition

to the administrative 40 hour work week for Physi-

cians, we are also addressing the linking of behavioral

discipline and performance pay for physicians.

The Agency is also linking Union official time for a

physician and the ability of the agency to decrease

performance pay based on the amount of official time

used in lieu of clinical duties. The agency has claimed

7422 as an exemption to negotiations and we are

continuing to support our contention that there should be

no such penalty for performing representational duties.

The matter will most likely be placed before the Undersec-

retary for a ruling on the 7422 issue.

We all know the Agency is under scrutiny to increase the

number of patients we see in a timely manner. Unfortu-

nately, the Agency tends to divide the work load by the

number of employees capable of performing the task and

thus increase workload for our Title 38 Employees without

consideration of quality of care and patient safety. Cur-

rently the Agency has a plan to increase the Nurse Practi-

tioner patient panel sizes by 25% as an example of this

strategy. Most VHA facilities have numerous openings for

Title 38 employees that go unfilled. The Local Unions can

help ease some of the workload if they partner with their

Local facility in conducting job fairs and develop social net-

works enticing potential employees to seek employment

at the VA.

Our NVAC VBA Mid-Term Bargaining Committee, under

the direction of Sandra Davis, Chair, continues to collabo-

rate with our employees, partners and other stakeholders

in the development and negotiation of collectively bar-

gained agreements that seek to empower VBA Locals to:

(1) Transform employee training and development so that

all employees have the same opportunity to be efficient

in their duties without bias; (2) Ensure there are effective

employees at every level focused on improving veteran

outcomes; (3) Provide a portfolio of high quality employ-

ees from which new leaders can be selected; (4) Ensure a

safe, caring, and nurturing environment for all employees;

and (5) Fully participate in the operation of an effective,

efficient, and transparent organization in order to re-

assure the public trust. In dealing with VBA Local Regional

Office employment relationship issues going forward; the

NVAC VBA Mid- Term Bargaining Committee will act with

strength, equity, and courage while establishing them-

selves as a knowledgeable and reliable source of assis-

tance for VBA Locals.

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2014 was a very busy and productive year for the NVAC

Training & Education Committee. As a result of the

transitions and the 2013 government shutdown, there

was a backlog of pending requests for both joint and

union-only training that carried over.

Training continued to be a key area of emphasis in 2014.

Working with our management partners, we brought

Joint Master Agreement Training to another 14 facilities

during 2014. Since the training program began in late

2011, training has been conducted on more than 60 oc-

casions, with close to 2000 labor and management lead-

ers being provided with a joint understanding of the

Master Agreement. In addition, we have had 6 union

only training events, on subjects such as the Master

Agreement, steward activities, and Title 38.

In addition to this local level training, the Training Com-

mittee has provided training on a regional basis in Orlan-

do, Chicago and Palm Springs on subjects such as Title

38, Steward Activities, Bargaining and LSA. Additional

Regional Trainings are in the planning stage for 2015.

The Training Committee has also provided assistance,

coordination and instructors for District and VISN train-

ing, such as in Virginia Beach for VISN 6. All of this was

under the leadership of the Director of Education and

Training, Dave Rodriguez.

Much to our regret, Dave retired at the end of 2014, and

we wish him all the best in retirement. We are evalu-

ating the resumes of a number of applicants for this po-

sition, and should have a permanent replacement soon.

Until the replacement is named, National Representative

Bill Jefferson will serve as the contact person for Training

and Education.

2014 was a busy year for training, but we are certain

that even more will be provided in 2015. A trained lead-

er is an effective leader, so stayed tuned for more an-

nouncements.

The NVAC Grievance and Arbitration Committee contin-

ues to work very hard to provide legal advice and repre-

sentation on both National and Local legal issues.

“Change” is the one word that describes NVAC Grievance

and Arbitration for 2014. The year began with the depar-

ture of Ami Pendergrass. February saw the departure of

Third Executive Vice President Bill Wetmore as Com-

mittee Chairperson and assignment of National Repre-

sentative Jim Alsup as the new Chairperson. August saw

the departure of Council Attorney Bibi Roberts and at the

September LMR, President Lee announced the arrival of

April Fuller and Greg Meditz as new attorneys starting

with the Council. December witnessed Jim Alsup’s retire-

ment from the Board of Veteran Appeals and his ac-

ceptance with of the managing attorney with the NVAC.

The Council continues to work to resolve several im-

portant cases during 2014, including a back pay case in-

volving payment for overtime for several thousand VA

Computer Specialists from 1991 to 2014, payment of Sat-

urday Premium Pay for many Title 5 employees who work

at VHA facilities, and pay for uniforms for VA police offic-

ers. Although the cases have resulted in settlement

agreements, the Council’s attorneys continue to work to

enforce the agreements and in the

case of the payment of overtime to

VA Computer Specialists, the attor-

neys are working to re-write the

settlement, so that employees re-

ceive what VA has agreed to pay.

Cases involving official time, Title 38

Discipline Boards, and advice to VA employees seeking

Whistleblower Act protection continue to be the areas

requiring most legal advice and assistance.

The Council’s focus on providing Locals with assistance,

legal advice and training on legal issues has not changed.

The Grievance and Arbitration Committee has authorized

several cases involving arbitration, negotiation and bar-

gaining, and official time, and new training has focused

on cases involving performance evaluations and perfor-

mance improvement plans.

Structural changes are being put in place, including a new

case management system that will provide easily accessi-

ble and more secure electronic case files in order to

better serve our Nationwide Union, and to better ensure

continuity of legal representation. In sum, “change” in

the form of continuing improvements for NVAC G&A will

carry on well into the future.

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January

Local Supplemental Agreement Signing, Local 548

Bay Pines, FL

February

Joint Training and Education

Committee Meeting

Washington, DC

AFGE Legislative Grassroots and

Mobilization Conference

Washington, DC

National Partnership Council

Columbia, SC

March

Semi-Annual Labor Management

Relations Meeting

Washington, DC

National Quality Council Meeting

Washington, DC

April

New Local President’s Training

Salem, VA

May


Committee Meeting

Columbia, SC

June


St. Louis, MO

July

AFGE Summit Meeting

Washington, DC

Meeting with Acting VA Secretary

Sloan Gibson

Washington, DC

August


Committee Meeting

Columbia, SC


Washington, DC

2014 Human Rights Training

Conference

Minneapolis, MN

September

National Partnership Council

Portland, OR

Semi-Annual Labor Management

Relations Meeting

Washington, DC

October

Local Supplemental Agreement Training

Chicago, IL

November

Regional Training Palm Springs, CA

Joint Training and Education Committee Meeting

New Orleans, LA

December


Washington, DC

VBA Performance Standards

Meeting

Atlanta, GA


New Orleans, LA


St. Louis, MO


Columbia, SC

New Local President’s Training

Salem VAMC

Local Supplemental Agreement Training

Chicago, IL

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M.J. Burke

1st Executive VP

Alma L. Lee

NVAC President

Bill Wetmore

3rd Executive VP

Dorothy Jefferson

NVAC Treasurer

Oscar L. Williams, Jr.

2nd Executive VP

National Executive Board Officers

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Christopher Bovie

1st District

Ena Thompson-Judd

2nd District

Curtis Jackson

3rd District

Bob Fetzer

4th District

Tere Watts

5th District

District Representatives

Oscar L. Williams Jr.

7th District

Patrick Russell

8th District

Barbara

Whitson—Casanova

9th District

Ben Johnson

10th District

Donald L. Fowler

11th District

Cliff Park

12th District

Jeff Sladek

13th District

Bill Preston

14th District

Richard A. Colón-Falcón

15th District

Willie Haywood

6th District

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James Alsup David Bump

National Representatives

James Martin Geneva Moore

Tatishka Musgrove Kathleen Pachomski Victor Ramirez-Rios Adrienne Woods

Bill Jefferson Anthony McCray

Irene Coley Louis Curry Keith Ireland

Brenda Stromski Rosetta Sloan

Safety Representatives

Chet Goree Diane Clines

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In bringing to a close 2014, it has been an incredible year

with many successes with many obstacles overcome.

With that being said, we must be ready to face under-

staffing, downgrades, contracting out, inadequate work

credit systems and other issues facing our Bargaining

Unit Employees. We must use our resources and mem-

bership to protect the pay, benefits, and workplace

rights that our Bargaining Unit Employees deserve.

The National VA Council will be following up with addi-

tional public pressure in 2015 to end poor management

practices, as we continue to stand up for Veterans and

the employees who are honored to care for them.

The NVAC will continue to urge Congress to pass a bill to

fix the work credit system that dictates unfair perfor-

mance standards for VBA employees. NVAC believes

that VBA employees must receive adequate credit for

each task they perform. Fair and balanced performance

standards are critical for VBA employees to remain

effective and continue to work to lower the claims back-

log.

We were honored to testify on two separate occasions

before the House VA Committee, bringing up issues con-

cerning VBMS shut downs and operating problems and

issues concerning BDD, Quick Start, and IDES claims.

In 2015, we will continue to focus on performance

standard issues, ensuring NVAC has a voice for improv-

ing VBMS, and lobbying Congress on VBA's lack of focus

on appeals. Organizing, Grievance and Arbitration, Leg-

islation, Political Action, Training, EEO and Mid-Term

Bargaining issues will continue to be on our priority list.

Our communications through the private e-mail systems

and our electronic mass mailings will continue to keep

our Brothers and Sisters informed with the latest break-

ing information as it develops.

We know where we have come from to get us this far,

now we must look ahead to the future to see what we

can do to make us even better.

With the addition of our new attorneys, our legal team

will be able to take on even more cases to enforce the

Master Agreement, the Statute, and other agreements.

VBA staffing and training concerns, will continue to be at

the top of our legislative agenda and we will continue to

strengthen our right to bargain under Title 38. Our

NVAC lobbyist will continue to push the AGE/NVAC

agenda up on Capitol Hill and continue to file grievances

to protect your rights as Bargaining Unit Employees.

We will continue to educate our leaders in all of the

fields so that they will be able to effectively communi-

cate with each other to answers to questions as they

arise.

We look forward to working for you in 2015! 2014

was a very productive year for training in NVAC history

and 2015 promises to continue that upward trend. As

the Boss said:

Alma L. Lee

President National Veterans Affairs Council, #53

American Federation of Government Employees,

AFL-CIO

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