AFGE General Committee has successfully negotiated updates to the 2019 Collective Bargaining Agreement (Contract).

The members will have the opportunity to review and vote on the approval of the updates.

Review the Ratification Articles: https://www.afge1395.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Ratification-articles-2023.pdf

Here are the Highlights of Changes to the Contract:

Below is a summary of gains made:

Article 3 – Employee Rights:

• New definition of workplace bullying to better protect employees.
• When a manager holds a meeting and is aware that the meeting may result in disciplinary action, the manager will inform the employee of the subject matter of the meeting and of their right to have a union representative present.
• The Union normally will be given at least 2 workdays’ notice of formal discussions.
• Employees will be entitled to and informed of their right to union representation when undergoing a fitness for duty exam.
• New employees will be introduced to the staff within the first week of their report-for-duty date.
• The Agency will provide duty time for employees to read emails such as Agency transmittals, Human Resource Internal Communications, and PolicyNet transmittal updates.

Article 16 – Training and Career Development:

• The Agency is responsible for ensuring all employees are provided time to attend and complete assigned training.
• The Agency will conduct follow-up surveys normally six (6) months after formal training classes, and results (respondent scores, comments, etc.) will be shared with the Union within 60 days after the administration of the survey.
• Future interactive training models will be a subject for UMCC processes under Article 29.
• More open solicitation and training of bargaining unit instructors for training classes. Potential “train the trainer” courses for specific components or positions can be addressed under Article 29 UMCC process.
• Agency acknowledges that duty time is appropriate for employees to complete and participate in an IDP.
• The Agency will advise employees of their right to request reasonable accommodation with respect to training.
• Removal of IVT broadcasts for training.
• Management will make every reasonable effort to ensure that the mentoring process is completed without interruption (e.g., scheduling sufficient blocks of time to allow for a mentor and an employee to meet to discuss casework and other work items, sufficient time for a mentor to review an employee’s work).
• Continuing legal education and law license fee reimbursement.
• Future career development programs are a subject for agencywide or component level UMCC meetings under Article 29.

Article 20 – Child Care and Elder Care:

• Improvements to the lactation program section, including spaces must be shielded from view by video recording devices, and management will provide space with a lockable door and avoid using space that contains equipment like copiers, printers, etc. Space will be cleaned daily.
• For each Agency facility lacking a dedicated refrigerator for storing expressed milk, upon request, the Agency will provide one “mini-fridge,” per site, for dedicated storage of expressed milk.
• The Agency will establish an emergency backup care program for dependent minors and/or adult dependent or disabled family members, subject to procurement procedures and available funds, to begin on or after October 1, 2024.

Article 23 – Disciplinary and Adverse Action:

• Weingarten investigations will be initiated timely after the alleged offense was committed, made known to the appropriate Agency official, or referred (e.g. at the conclusion of other formal investigations by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Office of Special Counsel (OSC), and the Agency anti-harassment program), to the appropriate Agency official.

This closes a loophole in the existing timeliness language regarding initiation of discipline.

• Management will provide copies of notes taken during Weingarten investigations to the employee/representative as soon as possible after a Weingarten meeting.

Article 27 – Details:

• Temporary Compassionate Assignments (TCAs) – Employees may request an assignment to another SSA facility in a different geographic location, or, a temporary residence other than the employee’s Article 41 approved Alternate Duty Station (ADS) in a different geographic location, or their current Article 41 ADS for up to 60 days based on a temporary personal situation (e.g., illness of parent, etc.) outside of the employee’s control. “Different geographic location” is defined as being outside the two-hour commuting area.
• New virtual details section to create additional detail opportunities within and between components.

Article 29 – Union-Management Cooperation Councils (UMCCs):

New partnership/forum process to replace the Union-Management Meeting at the agency and component-council levels. Meetings will be co-chaired and jointly run by union and agency leaders, rather than through a labor relations intermediary. Jointly-determined agenda items for pre-decisional involvement, with sharing of information, and understandings reduced to writing. Pre-implementation bargaining if issues remain after PDI. A sidebar including already agreed-upon topics like child care subsidy, future of interactive training, mentoring training, anti-bullying training, artificial intelligence, and career development programs. Additional items affecting employees can be added to agendas once meetings can be scheduled after ratification.

General:

• 2019 National Agreement extended until October 25, 2029.
• Extension of the January 23, 2023 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding eligibility of telework (e.g., probationary employees, trainees, employees with minor discipline, etc. can telework) until October 25, 2029.