FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 17, 2005 (Release Date)

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[FACILITY NAME] WORKERS QUESTION NEW DOD PERSONNEL PLAN

(CITY, STATE)-Workers of FACILITY NAME will be represented in lawsuit, soon to be filed in federal court, challenging the new work rules on a statutory basis. AFGE, together with other unions including the Association of Civilian Technicians (ACT), International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), Laborers International Union (LIU), Metal Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, National Association of Government Employees (NAGE), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), and United Power Trades Organization (UPTO) will file the lawsuit.

"Why won't Secretary Rumsfeld let us do our job to support our troops?" asked LOCAL PRESIDENT'S LAST NAME. "Morale is essential to any military operation, and yet this proposed system will devastate the morale of the civilian defense workforce. Why isn't anyone thinking of the potential impact on our troops?"

The proposed regulations for DoD personnel revoke most due process rights (rendering whistleblower protections moot), allow supervisors to punish employees in their paychecks, create a so-called "pay-for-performance" system that pits employees against each other for pay increases, and end all meaningful collective bargaining.

"How will the new personnel rules for the Department of Defense serve the American public? This new system gives DoD every means possible to put the squeeze on employees and shut up potential whistleblowers. Defense workers will be too afraid to speak out against corruption and wrongdoing because they will have no protection from reprisals," stated Don Hale, a civilian defense worker at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and president of AFGE's DEFCON, which represents DoD workers nationally.

LOCAL PRESIDENT'S LAST NAME explained other aspects of NSPS that S/HE stated are unjust. For example, in the case of a reduction in force (RIF), a one-year employee with an "outstanding" rating would be retained over a 20-year employees with an "excellent" rating. When disciplinary actions are appealed to either the Merit systems Protection Board or an arbitrator, neither would be able to substitute a lesser penalty unless the penalty was "wholly unjustifiable," an impossible standard to overcome. For some alleged offenses, even the manager proposing the discipline would not be able to propose anything short of removal.

Workers of FACILITY NAME will be represented in lawsuit, soon to be filed in federal court, challenging the new work rules on a statutory basis. AFGE, together with other unions including the Association of Civilian Technicians (ACT), International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), Laborers International Union (LIU), Metal Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, National Association of Government Employees (NAGE), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), and United Power Trades Organization (UPTO) will file the lawsuit.

The DOD's proposed changes will affect the department's 750,000 civilian employees by replacing the civil service system and redefining pay, appeal rights and collective bargaining to achieve "management flexibility." The new system is the result of legislation passed by Congress in 2003, at the request of the Bush administration, authorizing the Secretary of Defense to make the changes. An initial outline of proposals was released in February 2004 and was met by widespread criticism from employees and their unions, including AFGE.

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