Sen. Durbin Questions Rock Island Arsenal Commander over Filling Civilian Positions with Reservists
September 04, 2015
Categories:
DoD
Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois is not very happy with Rock Island Arsenal’s practice of filling civilian positions with military reservists. That practice, known as the Personnel Force Innovation (PFI) program, should only be used in certain circumstances.
“But it has been brought to my attention that its authority may have been used inappropriately to fill five civilian bargaining unit positions at the factory,” the senator recently wrote to Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center Commander Col. Don Wols. “Rock Island’s single irreplaceable asset is its people. As you know, almost all of JMTC’s manufacturing workload is produced and managed by a highly-skilled civilian workforce. It is important that Arsenal leadership protects this workforce, acts effectively to retain its critical capabilities, and cultivates a new generation of professionals.”
The senator added that it’s imperative that every installation takes advantage of civilians’ lower long-term costs as the defense budget tightens. The commander was asked to respond immediately.
AFGE applauds Locals 15 and 2119 for raising the issue with Sen. Durbin and for protecting the bargaining unit members as well as the base’s critical capabilities.
“But it has been brought to my attention that its authority may have been used inappropriately to fill five civilian bargaining unit positions at the factory,” the senator recently wrote to Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center Commander Col. Don Wols. “Rock Island’s single irreplaceable asset is its people. As you know, almost all of JMTC’s manufacturing workload is produced and managed by a highly-skilled civilian workforce. It is important that Arsenal leadership protects this workforce, acts effectively to retain its critical capabilities, and cultivates a new generation of professionals.”
The senator added that it’s imperative that every installation takes advantage of civilians’ lower long-term costs as the defense budget tightens. The commander was asked to respond immediately.
AFGE applauds Locals 15 and 2119 for raising the issue with Sen. Durbin and for protecting the bargaining unit members as well as the base’s critical capabilities.
