Late last month, the GAO Union issued its report on how management implemented GAO Human Capital Reform Act of 2004.
The manner in which former Comptroller General David Walker chose to exercise the discretion provided him under this Act was the main catalyst for the GAO analyst staff to unionize.  Of particular concern to staff were Walker’s market-based pay and personnel workforce restructuring decisions in 2005 & 2006 […]

United States Government Accountability Office Fiscal Year 2011 Performance Plan GAO-10-598SP - May 21, 2010 (PDF, 32 pages)
Summary: This report presents the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) Performance Plan for Fiscal Year 2011. In the spirit of the Government Performance and Results Act, this annual plan informs the Congress and the American people about what we […]

Statements from Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz to Acting CG Dodaro at the March 17, 2010 Hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommitee on the Legislative Branch on GAO’s Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Request
Excerpts from Transcript of March 17, 2010 Hearing 
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ:  … I am very concerned about the lack of progress on merit-based pay — pay raises. I understand that […]

Three Questions Raised by the GAO Merit Pay Agreement Reached for Analyst Job Performance & Contributions in FY 2009
After four months of stonewalling and refusing to engage in serious PBC pay negotiations with its Union by those in charge of GAO, the GAO Union won a major victory in the PBC Pay Agreement they negotiated with GAO Management on […]

SPECIAL UNION NEWS: GAO Analyst Performance Based Compensation (PBC) Pay Tentative Agreement Reached, 4/1/2010 (see PDF)
The GAO Employees Organization is very pleased to announce that the GAO Union and GAO management reached tentative agreement on the 2010 Performance Based Compensation (PBC) pay analysts and specialists will receive. The Union and GAO management were in mediation […]

Transcript of March 17, 2010 Hearing on CBO, GAO, and OOC Budget Requests by House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ:  … I am very concerned about the lack of progress on merit-based pay — pay raises. I understand that there wasn’t any more progress in your conversations on Monday. So we’d like to hear an […]

Labor-management council holds first meeting By STEPHEN LOSEY | Federal Times - February 26, 2010
Senior Obama administration and federal labor officials met today in the first attempt at forging labor-management partnerships at 200 federal agencies. A new National Council on Federal Labor-Management Relations is overseeing the effort, and today appointed a four-member working group to […]

GAO Union Testifies Before House Appropriations Subcommittee on Issues of Concern to GAO Employees 
On Wednesday February 24, 2010, the GAO Union testified before the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch of the House Committee on Appropriations chaired by Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz at the subcommittee’s hearing with Members and Public Witnesses. In the GAO Union testimony, Union President Ron La […]

Report says labor-management partnerships should focus on cost savings By Alyssa Rosenberg, Govexec.com - February 10, 2010
Alyssa Rosenberg writes that “The Obama administration must confront deep-seated mistrust between labor leaders and managers and focus on measuring results to ensure the success of labor-management partnership councils, according to a new academic report released on Wednesday.”
Christina Merchant […]

Training for President Obama’s Executive Order on Labor-Management Forums
Federal agencies are responsible for initiating numerous labor-management relations initiatives as a result of President Obama’s December 9, 2009 Executive Order 13522 entitled “Creating Labor-Management Forums to Improve Delivery of Government Services.” The Executive Order requires that agency managers participate in a labor-management forum and allow […]

GAO Union Reaches Agreement with Management to Improve PDP Pay Structure; Members Vote this Week
The union has reached an agreement with management to increase salary raises for staff in the Professional Development Program (PDP) . The PDP Pay Agreement increases the percentages used to calculate PDP raises and provides a one-time payment intended to address […]

GAO ANALYSTS NEWS CENTER: 1/29/10 Special Union News - January 29, 2010
Union and Management Plan to Go to Personnel Appeals Board (PAB) to Resolve Performance-Based Compensation (PBC) Pay
The GAO Union and GAO management have not reached agreement on Performance Based Compensation (PBC) pay, so as a result, both parties will ask the Personnel Appeals Board […]

GAO ANALYSTS NEWS CENTER 1/11/10 Union News
Union Members Ratify Across-the-Board Pay Increase; 2010 PBC Negotiations to Resume on January 20
The Union and GAO bargaining teams held sessions last week on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to continue discussions over the 2010 performance-based compensation (PBC) and related components of this year’s pay raise. The PBC is the […]

UNION NEWS (12/23/09) Special Newsletter - Status of 2010 Pay Negotiations
GAO management and the Union have reached tentative agreement on the across the board component of the 2010 Pay negotiations. The annual adjustment, or across the board, will be the equivalent of the GS total increase (including locality) for the GS locality pay area in […]

A Sneak Peek At Tomorrow’s Insider Polls, Hotline On Call - December 10, 2009
INSIDERS POLL: Congress’ Rising Stars Are Team Players by Brian Friel, National Journal - Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009
The members of Congress who are building their parties’ fortunes will be rewarded, Insiders say. Which member has the brightest future? Rising stars in Congress include […]

Labor-Management Forums Created By Brittany Ballenstedt, WiredWorkplace. NextGov.com - December 10, 2009
…What I find most interesting is that the new national council will play a key role in developing recommendations for innovative ways to improve the delivery of services and products to the public while cutting costs and advancing federal employee interests.
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GAOUnion.org  The above post […]

Labor-Management Forums Created By Brittany Ballenstedt, WiredWorkplace.NextGov.com - December 10, 2009
…What I find most interesting is that the new national council will play a key role in developing recommendations for innovative ways to improve the delivery of services and products to the public while cutting costs and advancing federal employee interests.
Obama creates good cheer by […]

Obama creates labor-management council By Alex M. Parker Govexec.com December 9, 2009
President Obama on Wednesday signed an executive order, similar to a Clinton-era mandate, that establishes governmentwide labor-management partnerships. In addition to requiring labor-management forums at the agency level, the order creates a national council on federal labor-management relations, led by the deputy director of […]

OPM extends direct hire authority for acquisition jobs By Alyssa Rosenberg, Govexec.com - November 24, 2009
A new rule giving agencies authority to hire acquisition employees directly could aid the Obama administration’s efforts to bring contract jobs back in-house, and could inform the conversation about hiring reform, according to federal workforce advocates. In a Federal Register notice […]

OPM chief floats ideas on personnel system fix & IFPTE Union expands Joe Davidson - Federal Diary: washingtonpost.com - November 20, 2009
Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry outlined his thinking on remaking the federal personnel system during a speech this week to a Human Capital Management: Federal conference …  Like the little engine that could, the […]

GAO issues Performance Appraisal System (PAS) Study Report - Nov. 16, 2009 (PDF, 106 pages)
According to the PAS report released by GAO today, agency employees and managers reported that major aspects of the GAO’s own performance appriasal (employee rating) system are not working well.  Some key findings included the following:
1–Employee satisfaction with the system is low […]

Unions express concern over new draft of labor-management order By Alyssa Rosenberg, Govexec.com - October 27, 2009
Federal employee unions and management groups disagree over changes in the latest version of a draft executive order establishing labor-management partnerships distributed Oct. 1 by OMB to several agencies for comment.   The draft differs from a previous version circulated in August in three areas: it
1) […]

Collaboration or Co-Management: A Look at Section 2(c) of the Proposed Obama Executive Order on Labor Relations By Bob Gilson - Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Sec.2(c) allow employees and their union representatives pre-decisional involvement on all workplace matters. 
Gilson’s article notes: “Isaac Bashevis Singer said, ‘the waste- basket is a writer’s best friend.’ Whoever penned the language of […]

Obama labor relations proposal draws praise: Draft order would expand issues on which agencies must bargain and alter membership of governmentwide labor-management council, By Alyssa Rosenberg, Govexec.com - August 14, 2009
Union leaders this week applauded a draft executive order on labor-management relations for broadening the scope of subjects eligible for bargaining and granting an appropriate […]

Obama pleases unions with labor relations appointments By Alyssa Rosenberg, Govexec.com - June 8, 2009     
Federal Labor Relations Authority had key vacancies for almost a year.  Ernie DuBester to be a member of FLRA and Julia Clark to be its general counsel.  Clark played a role in IFPTE’s efforts to organize and establish a union at GAO.

Unions say recession is sparking federal sector organizing By Alyssa Rosenberg, GovExec.com - May 29, 2009

GAO Union testifies before House Committee on Appropriations, Legislative Branch Subcommittee [PDF of Prepared Statement for Hearing] - May 5, 2009

“Public Service in the 21st Century: An Examination of the State of the Federal Workforce” Hearing by the House Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia - April 22, 2009
Note: Includes PDF links to prepared statements of each witness.
IFPTE President Greg Junemann: Prepared Statement before House Oversight Subcommittee on the Federal […]

2009 Pay Agreement: Final Signed & Approved Copy - Jan. 12, 2009
GAO Management & GEO Joint Press Release: GAO UNION AND MANAGEMENT REACH TENTATIVE 2009 ANNUAL ADJUSTMENT PAY AGREEMENT - Dec. 19, 2008 
Interim Collective Bargaining Agreement: Final Signed & Approved Copy - Nov. 8, 2008
At the GAO, a Union First  By Joe Davidson, Washington Post - Oct.1, 2008
GAO, union reach […]

GAO Union Officer Election Results (with vote % of all Band I & II analysts in BU)
Ronald La Due Lake elected to head GAO Union with votes of 15.7 percent of bargaining unit (284 votes out of 1810 member bargaining unit)  Election results
GAO Union Officer Election Results Special Notice - Dec. 17, 2008
Time to Vote! Union […]