Union won’t file HSPD-12 complaint against GSA -- yet (Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12)

[Omaha Steve]

Source: FCW Media Group

BY Ben Bain
Published on July 12, 2007

The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) said it will hold off on filing a formal unfair labor complaint until after it meets with the General Services Administration about the agency’s implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12. The union, which represents about half of GSA’s employees, hopes to meet with the agency as early as next week.

The union said last week that it planned to file an unfair labor practice charge with the Federal Labor Relations Authority, alleging that GSA had failed to meet labor obligations by not bargaining with the union about how it would implement HSPD-12’s interoperable smart-card program. The union has raised privacy concerns about the background checks the directive mandates.

GSA is working to implement HSPD-12, the governmentwide smart-card program, by October 2008, and an agency spokeswoman said it has no choice but to conduct the background investigations. The program requires that all employees and long-term contractors undergo at least a National Agency Check and Inquiry and an FBI fingerprint check for criminal history.

The agency has briefed NFFE and the American Federation of Government Employees on the directive and said it is willing to meet again, although it added that it has already met all bargaining requirements.



Read more: http://www.fcw.com/article103207-07-12-07-Web