Department Of Defense

NOTE: NSPS is not pending legislation, you are not being asked to lobby on any legislation. DOD has put this new system into notice and comment regulations and they are asking for your comments. Make your voice heard.

AFGE Comments on NSPS Proposed Regulations
Thanks to those of you who submitted your comments opposing these regulations. To see the comments that AFGE submitted, click on [more] 6-30-2008

AFGE President John Gage's Testimony on Flawed Pay for Performance Systems

Changes to NSPS from Department of Defense

Defense Authorization Bill Provides NSPS Fix
Union Says, Bill Reforms NSPS and Lays Foundation for Government-wide Privatization Reforms [more] 1-30-2008

Congress Makes Historic Reforms in Privatization Process

Conferees Move to Scale Back Pentagon Personnel Changes
Comments from Mark E. Gibson, AFGE Labor Relations Specialist, on the recent article in href="http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?filepath=/dailyfed/1207/120707b1.htm">Government Executive. gibsom@afge.org December 7, 2007 [more] 12-13-2007

Talking Points on Planned Department of Defense Layoffs

Tell Defense Secretary Gates to Back off the Layoffs!
An Important Message from AFGE to DoD Employees [more] 12-11-2007

Tell Defense Secretary Gates Not to Furlough DoD Employees

DEFCON Meeting announcement and Agenda
AFGE DEFCON will meet on February 9 and 10 in Washington DC preceeding the 2008 Legislative Conference at the Hyatt Regency. [more] 11-28-2007

DoD AFGE Welcome Video

NSPS Funding for January 2008 and January 2009
Analysis by Terry Rosen, AFGE [more] 9-21-2007

AFGE to Take Battle Over DoD Employee Rights to the Supreme Court
The American Federation of Government Employees today announced it would file an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court in order to stop the Department of Defense from implementing its National Security Personnel System. [more] 8-29-2007

AFGE and UDWC Petition for Rehearing En Banc for NSPS Decision
AFGE and its UDWC partners petition the full Court of Appeals DC Circuit for reversal of decision upholding legality of NSPS Regs. See a copy of the Petition for Rehearing En Banc and previous decision. [more] 7-5-2007

Remembering Military Personnel With a Bigger Pay Raise
Just a few hours before Congress departed for its Memorial Day break, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved a bill that would provide a bigger pay raise for the troops, pump up management oversight at the Defense Department and guarantee union rights under a new personnel system. [more] 5-29-2007

Senate Must Take Immediate Action on NSPS, says AFGE
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) today urged members of the Senate to act on legislation that would nullify portions of the Department of Defense’s National Security Personnel System (NSPS). [more] 5-18-2007

Court Upholds NSPS
May 18, 2007
Guardian Unlimited [more] 5-18-2007

AFGE News for DoD Employees - Special Issue, Spring 2008
Pay, NSPS, Outsourcing [more] 2-15-2008

AFGE News for DoD Employees - Feb/March 2007

Pentagon Eyes Civilians for Work Overseas

AFGE Files Brief in Response to DoD Appeal of NSPS Decision

Notice of Oral Argument NSPS

AFL-CIO Letter Opposing Kavanaugh Nomination

Defund NSPS Flyer
Adobe PDF of NSPS Flyer [more] 6-12-2006

DoD issues Final Implementing Issuances for NSPS
On April 28, 2006 the Department of Defense (DoD) published the details of its new personnel system, except for those sections which are under a court injunction. These documents replace the draft issuances which were published in November 2005. [more] 5-11-2006

AFGE Depot Review
Presentation to AFGE Legislative Conference March 9, 2008 [more] 2-14-2008

NSPS 101 is being offered on the NSPS web site
"NSPS 101 provides an overview of the Human Resources elements of NSPS" [more] 4-3-2006

NSPS and You: Powerpoint Presentation
Click here for the NSPS and You: Powerpoint Presentation [more] 3-29-2006

NSPS Performance Management
UDWC responds to DoD's revised NSPS Performance Management Implementing Issuance. [more] 3-27-2006

NSPS Town Hall Brief
Adobe PDF of NSPS Town Hall Brief that include the new pay bands and amounts. [more] 3-13-2006

Organizing Fliers for AFGE News For DoD Employees

AFGE Takes Vote of 'No Confidence' Against DoD's Rumsfeld Over Appeal of NSPS Ruling
AFGE's Defense Conference Says Rumsfeld Broke 'Bonds of Trust' with Employees [more] 3-7-2006

Defense Unions to Call for Vote of No Confidence Against Donald Rumsfeld
Defense union representatives will call for a vote of no confidence against Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld tomorrow. [more] 3-6-2006

An Historic Victory

A Special Summary from John Gage
National President, John Gage, sends out a sumary of NSPS decision. [more] 3-2-2006

AFGE Wins Decisive Ruling Against DoD Personnel Rules
Federal Judge Guts Labor Relations and Employee Appeal Provisions of Personnel System [more] 2-27-2006

United Defense Workers Coalition Press Release
Federal court says no to NSPS. [more] 2-27-2006

Metal Trades Department AFL-CIO Press Release on NSPS Win
Court Finds New DOD Personnel Rules Restrict Collective Bargaining, Violate Due Process; Orders Pentagon to Scrap Those Sections [more] 2-28-2006

NSPS Talking Points
Overall, the Judge ruled in favor of AFGE and the other 12 union plaintiffs on four of the five main claims. [more] 2-28-2006

14th District Women's Advisory Committee Coordinator speaks on NSPS
AFGE 14th District National Women's Advisory Committee Coordinator Yvette Martin-Gross spoke to a PSI conference crowd March 8, 2006 concerning AFGE’s fight against the Department of Defense’s National Security Personnel System (NSPS). [more] 4-21-2006

News Coverage

• AFGE on Your Television 2-27-2006
• Court Blocks DoD's New Rules for Workers 2-27-2006
• Defense Department Personnel System Blocked 2-27-2006
• Judge Rules Against DoD on New Labor-Relations Rules 2-27-2006
• NSPS' Labor Components Struck Down 2-27-2006
• Judge Blocks Bush on Plan for Unions; Ruling Affects Proposed Workplace Rules 2-27-2006
• Judge Overturns Defense Labor Relations Reforms 2-27-2006
• Pentagon Pay Plan Violates Labor Rules 2-27-2006
• NSPS Hurdles Continue 2-27-2006

Beaumont Workers Fear Proposal Will Break Union
The union representing employees at Beaumont *Army* Medical Center says the administration is dragging its feet in contract negotiations because it is waiting for implementation of a new personnel system that will allow it to get rid of the union. [more] 10-11-2005

AFGE News for DoD Employees
Latest DoD news including NSPS, contracting out and GS/WG pay raises. [more] 1-27-2006

10 Reasons to Care About Stopping NSPS
Things in NSPS that have the potential of seriously damaging collective bargaining. [more] 1-20-2006

UDWC responds to DoD's Implementing Issuances
UDWC Responds to DoD's implementing issuances for NSPS [more] 1-12-2006

Price Tag Grows for Defense's Personnel System

AFGE Files Motion to Stop Implementation of NSPS
Judge Sullivan accepted AFGE's briefing schedule to fully address the merits of NSPS [more] 12-7-2005

DoD Unions Warn That New Personnel System May Cause Corruption, Scandal and Mismangement
In testimony before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, AFGE National President John Gage today warned that the new personnel system for the Department of Defense "will become the source of corruption, scandal and mismanagement and will deflect the agency from its important national security mission for years." [more] 11-17-2005

AFGE/DoD Confers Result in Delay of NSPS
Just days after AFGE and several other unions filed suit in federal court challenging the Department of Defense's proposed National Security Personnel System, DoD agreed to delay implementation of NSPS until Feb. 1, 2006. Representatives from AFGE and the Department of Justice, which represents DoD, came to an agreement after a series of meetings. DoD's action will alleviate the need for AFGE to file a Temporary Restraining Order to delay NSPS. [more] 11-16-2005

AFGE, Defense Worker Unions Sue Pentagon
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the nation’s largest federal employee union, filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense (DoD) to halt the implementation of the National Security Personnel System (NSPS), a set of personnel regulations that will put an end to transparency in government and waste hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars. Specifically, NSPS will all but eliminate the due process rights that enable employees to speak with confidence when they see wrongdoing or mismanagement. [more] 11-8-2005

NSPS Regulations Released!
On October 26 the Department of Defense (DoD) unveiled the details of its new personnel system, which was developed without consideration of issues of concern to the unions that represent the department’s civilian employees. [more] 10-26-2005

Table of Contents

• Daily Updates on the Meet and Confer Period
• Fight Back Against NSPS – Operation Fairness
• NSPS Background Information
  • Learn how the regulations will hurt you
  • NSPS Analysis
  • NSPS Comments
• Legal Action
• Media Coverage and Information

Fight Back Against NSPS: Operation Fairness

Operation Fairness targets key locals in the Defense Department in May 2005.

Through May, the DOD unions are in “Meet and Confer” sessions with DoD management to finalize the NSPS (National Security Personnel System) personnel policies. During this period, AFGE will be mounting a mobilization campaign, “Operation Fairness,” to demand that the U.S. Congress demand fairness in the final NSPS:

AFGE Locals with questions should call the NSPS Hotline at 202-639-4122.

Here's everything you will need to participate in Operation Fairness:

NSPS Resolution by the Florida Central Labor Council
Today marked day one of the 30-day meet and confer period for the proposed NSPS. Leading the AFGE NSPS team during the meeting with DoD and OPM were AFGE's General Counsel, Mark Roth, DEFCON Chair, Don Hale, Labor Relations Specialists Terry Rosen and Mark Gibson, along with the rest of the UDWC representatives. [more] 4-14-2005

Attention Defense Department Employees
The proposed National Security Personnel System (NSPS), will get rid of the General Schedule and FWS and replace them with an unfair system.

NSPS Background Information

Learn how the regulations will:

• Decrease your standard of living
• Take away your job security
• Change your work life

NSPS Analysis:

• AFGE analysis and summary (Long)
• AFGE analysis and summary (Short)
• AFGE analysis and summary (Powerpoint)
• NSPS Myths, DoD Facts and AFGE Facts (PDF)
• Regulations (PDF)
• Regulations (HTML)
• The Douglas Factors

NSPS Comments

The proposed NSPS regulations were released on February 14. During the formal comment period, which ended on March 16, thousands of Americans spoke out against the rules. Here are some examples of what was said:

• AFGE National President John Gage's comments
• United Defense Workers Coalition's comments
• AFGE Resolution Opposing NSPS

Legal Action

• Download a fax to send to your members of Congress (Members Only)

Educate Workers About NSPS

• Defense Workers' Unions To Sue Pentagon
  AFGE and four other DoD unions to file suit challenging new personnel system proposed regulations violate the law, evade congressional oversight, say union presidents.
• Defense Workers Unions' Law Suit
  Find a copy of the Law Suit Concerning the DoD NSPS

AFGE Locals should call the NSPS Hotline, at 202-639-4122.

• Download flyers, posters, and stickers (Members Only)

Media Coverage and Information

Media Coverage

• Texas AFL-CIO Joins the Fight Against DoD and DHS Personnel Systems
• Union President Blasts Administration's Plan for Federal Government
• GAO Urges Pentagon to Tackle Rank and File's Misgivings About New Pay System
• Human Capital: DoD's National Security Personnel System Faces Implementation Challenges
• Kelley Dull of the Defense Workers Council Talks on NSPS
• NSPS Rally at the Ronald Reagan Building [press release]
• Message from John Gage
• Message from Ron Ault
• TJ Bonner and AFGE General Counsel Mark Roth on FedTalk Radio Friday, February 11
• Defense Workers Hold News Conference/Rally to Protest Impending DoD Personnel Changes
• Labor, Community Leaders Protest Attacks on Independent Federal Workforce

Talking to the Media

• AFGE press release
• How to contact the media
• Send a letter to the editor of your hometown newspaper
• Additional letters to the editor
• Sample press release
• Additional sample press release
• Sample media advisory

Listen to the new Radio Ads!
AFGE and the United Coalition of Defense Workers (UCDW) have produced 2 new radio ads about the DoD National Security Personnel System (NSPS) [more] 9-9-2005

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